Ascending Aortic Aneurysm Is an Inherited Disease: A Contemporary Literature Review Based on Hill's Criteria of Specificity, Strength of Association, and Biological Coherence.

There is growing evidence of a differential etiological basis for thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAA), with ascending (As) TAAs being genetically mediated and descending (Des) TAAs more strongly related to acquired pathologies. A comprehensive literature review of this hypothesis has not been carried out. We carried out a systematic literature review based on the latest guidelines on TAA endorsed by the American Heart Association.

Influence of Differential Calcification in the Descending Thoracic Aorta on Aortic Pulse Pressure.

Purpose: Multiple studies have shown pulse pressure (PP) to be a strong predictor of aortic calcification. However, no studies are available that correlate PP with aortic calcification at the segmental level.

Methods: We identified 37 patients with aortic PP measured during cardiac catheterization.