Incidence of brachiocephalous artery lesions at acute aortic dissection of type A

Acute aortic dissection is a highly disabling disease, due to severe neurological deficits caused by damage to the brachiocephalous arteries. The study enrolled 92 patients, 74% of them were men and 26% women. Everybody underwent extracranial duplex scanning and/or multispiral computer tomography of neck vessels. The narrowing of the true lumen by 60% and either the occurrence of a stroke or a transient ischemic attack against the background of the involvement of brachiocephalous arteries in the process of delamination was considered to be a significant defeat. Brachiocephalic stem was the most frequently involved (52.1%). Significant lesions were more often identified in the right common carotid artery (10.8%). Higher lethality (33%) was found in the group where brachiocephalous arteries were intervened than in the group of non-operated arteries (24%) (p = 0.048). In the first group ischemic events were revealed only before and during the surgical intervention, in the second group - only in the postoperative period. Interventions on brachiocephalic arteries in acute aortic dissection are associated with higher lethality and occurrence of ischemic events. A classification taking into account pathogenetic mechanisms of acute cerebral ischemia in case of brachiocephalous artery damage has been proposed.