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Potentially life-threatening condition in which disruption or aortic intima allows dissection of blood into vessel wall; may involve ascending aorta (type II), descending aorta (type III), or both (type I) (Fig. 125-1). Alternative classification: Type A—dissection involves ascending aorta; type B—limited to transverse and/or descending aorta. Involvement of the ascending aorta is most lethal form. Variant acute aortic syndromes include intramural hematoma without an intimal flap, and penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer.
Classification of aortic dissections. Stanford classification: Top panels illustrate type A dissections that involve the ascending aorta independent of site of tear and distal extension; type B dissections (bottom panels) involve transverse and/or descending aorta without involvement of the ascending aorta. DeBakey classification: Type I dissection involves ascending to descending aorta (top left); type II dissection is limited to ascending or transverse aorta, without descending aorta (top center + top right); type III dissection involves descending aorta only (bottom left). (From DC Miller, in RM Doroghazi, EE Slater [eds]. Aortic Dissection. New York, McGraw-Hill, 1983, with permission.)
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