Clinical features and outcomes after endovascular therapy for penetrating aortic ulcer and intramural hematoma

Outcome After Conservative and Endovascular Treatment of Stanford Type B Aortic Intramural Hematomas - A Single-Center Retrospective Study

OBJECTIVES

Aortic intramural hematoma (IMH) is a rare disease. Thus far, only limited data is available and the indications for conservative and endovascular treatment are not well defined. The aim of this study was to investigate clinical presentation, course, CT imaging features and outcome of patients with type B aortic IMHs.

METHODS

We included all patients with type B IMHs between 2012 and 2021 in this retrospective monocentric study. Clinical data, localization, thickness of IMHs and the presence of ulcer-like projections (ULPs) was evaluated before and after treatment.

RESULTS

Thirty five patients (20 females; 70.3 y ± 11 y) were identified. Almost all IMHs (n = 34) were spontaneous and symptomatic with back pain (n = 34). At the time of diagnosis, TEVAR was deemed indicated in 9 patients, 26 patients were treated primarily conservatively. During the follow-up, in another 16 patients TEVAR was deemed indicated. Endovascularly and conservatively treated patients both showed decrease in thickness after treatment. Patients without ULPs showed more often complete resolution of the IMH than patients with ULPs (endovascularly treated 90.9% (10/11) vs 71.4% (5/7); conservatively treated 71.4% (10/14) vs 33.3% (1/3); P = .207). Complications after TEVAR occurred in 32% and more frequently in patients treated primarily conservatively (37.5% vs 22.2%). No in-hospital mortality was observed during follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS

Prognosis of IMH seems favourable in both surgically as well as conservatively treated patients. However, it is essential to identify patients at high risk for complications under conservative treatment, who therefore should be treated by TEVAR. In our study, ULPs seem to be an adverse factor for remodeling.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of Stanford type B aortic intramural hematoma: A single centre experience

Objective

To compare the clinical characteristics of Stanford type B aortic intramural hematoma (IMH) and Stanford type B aortic dissection (AD), and to identify the differences between thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) and medical management (MM) in the Stanford type B IMH patients.

Methods

A retrospective observational study was conducted in patients treated between January 2015 and December 2016. The clinical characteristics and CT images of patients with type B IMH and type B AD were compared, and the clinical characteristics and CT images of patients in the type B IMH group who were treated with TEVAR and MM were compared.

Results

A total of 176 patients were included in this study, including 62 patients of type B IMH and 114 patients of type B AD. Five patients died in the IMH group and three in the AD group. The proximal hematoma or entry tear in both groups was mainly located in the descending aorta, and the proportion of the iliac artery involved in the AD group was significantly higher than that in the IMH group (31.6% vs. 8.1% P < 0.05). There were 50 MM patients and 12 TEVAR patients in the IMH group. No death occurred in the TEVAR group, while five patients in the MM group died. Seven patients in the MM group had disease progression vs. 12 in the TEVAR group (P < 0.05). The patients in the TEVAR group had more intima lesions than those in the MM group (83.3% vs. 30.0%, P < 0.05). TEVAR group involved more iliac artery hematoma than MM group (33.3% vs. 2.0%, P < 0.05). The maximum thickness of hematoma in TEVAR group was 14.9 ± 3.4 mm, which was significantly larger than that of MM group (10.2 ± 2.8 mm) (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

In the diagnosis of IMH, patients' symptoms and high-risk signs of CTA should be paid attention to. TEVAR therapy should be actively considered on the basis of effective medical management when there are intima lesions (ULP/PAU), increased aortic diameter and hematoma thickness, extensive hematoma involvement, and pleural effusion.