Penetrating atherosclerosis aortic ulcer: a re-appraisal.

AbstractBackground: Penetrating aortic ulcer is a rare pathology, often clinically silent, but potentially fatal when manifesting as an acute aortic syndrome. It is more often detected in recent years, due to ageing of the population and more widespread use of computed tomography. A literature review aims to define the distinct disease entity of penetrating aortic ulcer.Methods: Five recent cases of penetrating aortic ulcer, treated in authors’ department are reported. A review of English-language medical literature from 1980 to 2015 was undertaken using PubMed and EMBASE databases, to identify studies reporting surgical (open and endovascular) treatment of penetrating aortic ulcer.Results: From September 2013 to September 2015, five cases of acute aortic syndrome caused by a penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer of the descending thoracic aorta were observed in authors’ department. This represents 9% of all acute aortic syndromes admitted to our hospital in the same period. All five patients benefitted from ...