Evolution of healthy thoracic aortic segment diameter during follow-up of patients with aortic aneurysm or dissection: a magnetic resonance imaging study.

We studied the normal evolution over time of the diameter of the healthy descending aorta in patients suffering from aneurysm or dissection of the ascending aorta, in order to anticipate potential complications of endoprosthetic treatment in this aortic segment. During their follow-up (average 35.9 months), 52 patients suffering from aneurysm or dissection of the ascending aorta had 168 aortic MRI examinations (2-7; average 3). Measurements were taken according to conventional reference landmarks making it possible to study the evolution of the diameter of the supposed healthy descending thoracic aorta. The variations in diameter with time were on average 5 mm, and there was no significant variation in this diameter, either for early controls or for the controls carried out after more than 1 year or 3 years, whatever the age group. Thus according to our series it seems that patients with a descending aorta endoprosthesis are not exposed to graft endoleak due to inadequate contact of the prosthesis and aorta within the 5 years following its implantation.