Michal Schäfer, Lorna P Browne, Uyen Truong, James J Jaggers, Max B Mitchell, Ladonna Malone, Gareth Morgan, Kathryn Chatfield, Daniel McLennan, Harma Turbendian, Danial Vargas, Brian Fonseca, Michael DiMaria, Anar Shah, Margaret P Ivy, Alex J Barker, Kendall S Hunter, Neil Wilson, D Dunbar Ivy, David N Campbell
OBJECTIVES: Turner syndrome (TS) and Marfan syndrome (MFS) are partially characterized by aortopathies with a risk of developing severe aortic dilation, stiffness and consequent dissection and aneurysm formation. The incidence of a bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) is also increased in TS. We investigated aortic stiffness in teenage TS and MFS patients and evaluated to what degree stiffness in TS patients is augmented by the presence of a BAV. METHODS: Fifty-seven patients with TS (n = 37) and MFS (n = 20), as well as 22 controls with similar age and size distribution underwent evaluation of thoracic aortic stiffness using phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging...
April 19, 2018: European Journal of Cardio-thoracic Surgery