D-dimer as a biomarker for acute aortic dissection: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

To perform a meta-analysis and examine the use of D-dimer levels for diagnosing acute aortic dissection (AAD). Medline, Cochrane, EMBASE, and Google Scholar were searched until April 23, 2014, using the following search terms: biomarker, acute aortic dissection, diagnosis, and D-dimer. Inclusion criteria were diagnosis of acute aortic dissection, D-dimer levels obtained, 2-armed study.