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Medical Aspect of the Aortic Diseases: the Follow-Up and Its Warnings

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Thoracic Aortic Diseases

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6.7 Conclusion

Marfan syndrome is a genetic disease, the best recognised aetiology of ascending aortic aneurysm. Because of its genetic nature, familial screening is crucial to diagnose the disease before complications have occurred. Regular follow-up with echocardiography should allow timely surgery for aortic root replacement, ideally using a valve-sparing procedure. Beta-blockage and avoidance of violent sports are the mainstay of medical therapy and may delay surgery or even avoid it in some patients. Medical therapy and close follow-up should be maintained after surgery in all patients. Blood pressure control and close follow-up is of upmost importance in patients with persistent dissection of the descending thoracic aorta.

Patients with aortic aneurysm or dissection who do not fulfil the Marfan criteria and who have unknown aetiology, should also have systematic familial screening because of the familial pattern of inheritance in some cases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Consultation Multidisciplinaire Marfan, Hôsspital Ambroise Paré, 9 Av Charles de Gaulle, 92100, Boulogne Billancourt, France

    Guillaume Jondeau

  2. Cardiology Department, Hôpital ambroise Paré, 9 av Charles de Gaulle, 92100, Boulogne Billancourt, France

    Gabriel Delorme, Olivier Milleron & Jessica Wilson

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  1. Guillaume Jondeau
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  2. Gabriel Delorme
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  3. Olivier Milleron
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  4. Jessica Wilson
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Rangueil University Hospital, 1 av J. Poulhes — TSA 50032, 31059, Toulouse CEDEX 9, France

    Hervé Rousseau

  2. Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery Department, University Hospital Center of Rennes Pontchaillou Hospital, Rue Henri Le Guillou, 35033, Rennes CEDEX 9, France

    Jean-Philippe Verhoye

  3. Radiology and Medical Imaging Department, University Hospital Center of Rennes Pontchaillou Hospital, Rue Henri Le Guillou, 35033, Rennes CEDEX 9, France

    Jean-François Heautot

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Jondeau, G., Delorme, G., Milleron, O., Wilson, J. (2006). Medical Aspect of the Aortic Diseases: the Follow-Up and Its Warnings. In: Rousseau, H., Verhoye, JP., Heautot, JF. (eds) Thoracic Aortic Diseases. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg . https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-38309-3_6

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