Surgical treatment and thoracic endovascular aortic repair in type A aortic dissection in a pregnant patient with Marfan syndrome

Aortic dissection during pregnancy and postpartum

BACKGROUND

Patients with aortic dissection during pregnancy and postpartum period exhibit a high mortality. At present, a complete overview of aortic dissection during pregnancy and postpartum period is lacking. ​Methods: This systematic review included 80 reports published from 2000 to 2020, comprising a total study population of 103 patients with aortic dissection. ​Results: We found that Stanford Type A aortic dissection was more common in prepartum cases, especially in the third trimester, while postpartum cases of aortic dissection were more common in Stanford Type B. The most common risk factor was connective tissue disease, with no other known risk factors. The mode of delivery had no significant effect on the type of postpartum aortic dissection. Reduced maternal and fetal mortality was observed when patients with Stanford Type A aortic dissection occurring after 28 gestational weeks underwent cesarean section followed by aortic replacement. Patients with Stanford Type B aortic dissection were treated mainly with medication and/or endovascular repair. ​Conclusion: Contemporary management of patients during pregnancy and within 12 weeks postpartum requires multidisciplinary cooperation and includes serial, noninvasive imaging, biomarker testing, and genetic risk profiling for aortopathy. Early diagnosis and accurate treatment are essential to reduce maternal and fetal mortality.

Application of cook balloon during aorta replacement in a pregnant Marfan-syndrome patient: a case report

Background

Aortic dissection is a rare and emergent condition. Aortic dissection during pregnancy is not much known but it is quite lethal to both mother and infant. Earlier reports published show that clinicians conducted hysterectomies during cesarean section to avoid anticoagulant-induced uterine bleeding during the following aortic surgery.

Case presentation

A woman (38, gravida 1, para 0) in the 37th gestational week suffered an acute, severe, sharp pain in the chest and back. She was diagnosed with Standford type A aortic dissection and suspected with Marfan syndrome. An emergency cesarean section was performed immediately to deliver the baby. Since the patient was on anticoagulants during aortic replacement, so Cook balloon was inserted into the uterus to prevent postpartum hemorrhage. This helped to maintain the uterus intact. Family genetic testing showed that the patient was a carrier of FBN1 mutation which was inherited from the patient’s mother, and the newborn also carried the mutation. Hence the patient was concluded to be positive for Marfan syndrome.

Conclusion

It is important that clinicians should pay attention to the possibility of aortic dissection in a pregnant woman with chest, abdominal or back pain. In this case study, we employed Cook balloon during cesarean section to avoid anticoagulant-induced uterine bleeding during the following aortic surgery.

Pregnancy and Marfan syndrome

Pregnancy in women with Marfan syndrome (MFS) presents challenges to the clinician and the patient due to the increased incidence of maternal complications and involvement of the fetus, and deserves special consideration. The leading cause of morbidity and mortality in MFS is aortic dissection. This article presents an extensive review of available clinical information and provides recommendations for the management of patients with MFS during pregnancy.

Pregnancy-related acute aortic dissection in Marfan syndrome: A review of the literature

A well-established association exists between acute aortic dissection and pregnancy, particularly in women with Marfan syndrome. However, there is debate regarding appropriate management guidelines. In particular, there are differing opinions regarding when prophylactic aortic root repair should be recommended as well as the efficacy of beta blockers in this clinical scenario. The current study evaluated 10 years of published literature (2005-2015) in the PubMed/Medline database. Fifty articles, describing 72 cases of women who presented with aortic dissection in the antepartum or postpartum period were identified. Comparisons on demographic variables and clinical outcomes between cases of women with Marfan syndrome (n = 36) and without Marfan syndrome (n = 36) were conducted. There were no significant differences in demographics (age, gravidity, parity) between the Marfan and non-Marfan cases. Marfan patients presented with antepartum dissections significantly earlier in pregnancy than those without Marfan syndrome (P = .002). However, there were no significant difference between the 2 groups in maternal mortality, fetal mortality, or obstetric outcomes (mode of delivery and gestational age at delivery). Eight cases described events in Marfan women with an aortic root diameter ≤40 mm. Six events occurred in Marfan women who were managed with beta blockers. Current guidelines rely on aortic root diameter for stratification of Marfan women into risk categories, but we identified several cases that would be missed by these guidelines. Specifically, the existing literature suggest that women with Marfan syndrome should take precautions throughout pregnancy, rather than the third trimester.