Beyond the Echo: Is Comprehensive Vascular Exploration Valuable in Cases of Non-Syndromic Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms or Bicuspid Aortic Valve?

Abstract

Bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissections (TAAD) are recognized in syndromic connective tissue diseases (CTD), but most cases occur sporadically. The extent to which non-syndromic BAV or TAAD predisposes to additional arteriopathies, particularly in younger individuals, remains unclear. We retrospectively analyzed 1438 patients (mean age = 48.0, 67.7% female), excluding those with CTDs. Participants were ≤60 years old and categorized by the presence of BAV and/or TAAD. We examined co-existing arterial pathologies, including fibromuscular dysplasia, spontaneous coronary artery dissection, abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), mesenteric, peripheral extremity, and carotid/cerebral arteriopathies. Overall, 44.6% had either BAV or TAAD, and 27.2% had multiple arteriopathies. While vascular diseases were frequently noted, odds ratios demonstrated no significantly increased risk of extra-aortic arteriopathies in the BAV or TAAD cohorts. AAA exhibited a non-significant trend toward higher prevalence in TAAD patients. These findings support current guidelines recommending targeted imaging (transthoracic echocardiography of the aortic root and ascending aorta) over comprehensive “head-to-pelvis” screening for non-syndromic BAV or TAAD patients without additional risk factors. Ongoing genetic analyses may elucidate whether particular variants predispose to multi-site aneurysms or dissections. Consequently, targeted surveillance remains appropriate, with broader imaging reserved for patients with genetic or clinical indicators of higher risk.

Keywords

• thoracic aortic aneurysm
• dissection
• bicuspid aortic valve
• arteriopathy
• screening