Management of acute aortic syndrome

Acute aortic syndrome (AAS) encompasses a group of severe, life-threatening disorders of the aorta, including acute aortic dissection, intramural haematoma (IMH), and penetrating aortic ulcer (PAU). The concept of AAS was developed to enable the early identification and definitive treatment of patients with chest pain from an aortic origin. Aortic dissection is the most common form of AAS, followed by IMH and PAU. Congenital cardiovascular defects, genetic syndromes, and nonsyndromic genetic variants have all been linked with the development of AAS. The diagnosis of AAS in the clinic can be made using imaging modalities such as CT, echocardiography, and MRI. The initial management of patients with AAS is focussed on the control of blood pressure to reduce aortic wall stress. A multidisciplinary team is required to assess each patient and decide whether endovascular or open surgical treatment, or further medical management is indicated. The optimal treatment of patients with AAS remains a challenging clinical dilemma, and further studies are required to fully characterize conditions within the AAS spectrum and to design individualized, patient-centred treatment plans. © 2015 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.