Objective: To quantify and compare histopathological differences regarding atherosclerosis and granular media calcinosis (GMC) of ascending aortic aneurysms (AAA), which are associated with aortic stenosis (AS) or aortic regurgitation (AR). Additionally, a subanalysis of patients with bicuspid or tricuspid aortic valve (BAV or TAV), which were contained within the AS and AR group, was conducted.
Patients and Methods: From 01/2012 till 12/2015 84 ascending aortic tissue samples were obtained and divided into their convex and concave half during aortic surgery. Aortic surgery was indicated due to AAA in association to AS (AS-AAA group: n = 43) or AR (AR-AAA group: n = 41). Both groups contained 19 patients with TAV. Convex and concave halves of all samples were stained with three different histologic dyes: hematoxylin-eosin (HE) was used as general stain for atherosclerosis, von-Kossa (vKossa) stain and alizarin-red (Ared) stain were used as calcinosis specific dyes. HE stained samples were analyzed using a semi-quantitative score, while calcinosis quantification was carried out by a binary, pixel guided contrast analysis via computer software.
Results: In the AR-AAA group, atherosclerosis was two and a half times more often detectable in the concave halves of the tissue samples as in the AS-AAA group (AR-AAA concave: 15 (36%) vs. AS-AAA concave: 6 (13%), p ≤ 0,01). Regarding GMC, tissue samples from AS-AAAs showed a 4,2-4,5% higher mean GMC deposit than their AR-AAA counterparts (p ≤ 0,001). Furthermore, BAV patients within the AS-AAA group showed a 2,1-2,4% higher mean deposit of GMC than their TAV peers (p ≤ 0,002). These finding of higher GMC deposition was consistent for BAV patients contained in the AAA-AR group.
Conclusion: AR-AAA are, in comparison with AS-AAA, more prone to develop atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis will most likely present at the concave curvature of the ascending aorta. AS-AAAs present significant higher mean GMC deposits than AR-AAAs. Combined with a bicuspid morphology of the aortic valve, GMC deposition in AAAs is elevated in comparison to AAAs with TAV morphology. Therefore AS-AAAs with BAV have the highest tendency to develop heavy GMC deposition, compromising the biomechanical structure of the aortic wall.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa:de:qucosa:72401 |
| Date | 09 October 2020 |
| Creators | Heuft, Lara |
| Contributors | Universität Leipzig |
| Source Sets | Hochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden |
| Language | German |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion, doc-type:doctoralThesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis, doc-type:Text |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
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