Conclusion
The central finding of this study is that ascending aortic length is
significantly greater in patients who experienced thoracic aortic
dissection compared to matched controls. This observation supports the
hypothesis that elongation of the aorta contributes to the pathogenesis
of thoracic aortic dissection. Therefore, measurement of the ascending
aortic length may be a useful tool for identifying patients at high risk
of aortic dissection.
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Table 1. Patient Characteristics