RED BLOOD CELL DISTRIBUTION WIDTH PREDICTS MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY AFTER AORTIC VALVE REPLACEMENT

Objective: Red blood cell distribution width (RDW), is a measurement of the size variation as well as an erythrocyte heterogeneity index (i.e., anysocytosis). used in combination with the mean corpuscular volume for anemia diagnosis. However, it is emerging as an useful predictor biomarker of mortality and morbidity of cardiovascular diseases. However, until now no literature data there are about the RDW role in predicting mortality after aortic valve replacement (AVR). Thus, in this pilot study biological significance of elevated RDW values in early outcome following AVR was evaluated Methods: We enrolled 75 patients (mean age 73.5 ±7.9 years) subjected to AVR and/ or not co temporally to …

Can The Aortic Wall Comunicate With Us?

OBJECTIVE: Association between aortic aneurysm wall and risk of rupture or dissection. METHODS: Aortic specimens were obtained from 73 patients (51 men and 22 women, whose median age 61.7± 10.7 years) undergoing surgical repair of thoracic ascending aneurysm (TAA). Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses were performed using adequate tissue specimens, appropriate techniques and criteria. Furthermore, genetic risk factors were also investigated. RESULTS: We identified three phenotypes of TAAs with different quality of aortic wall at the time of operation: phenotype I (normal wall); phenotype II (moderate wall thickness); phenotype III (thin and weak wall). No significant differenc…

Is the sporadic thoracic aneurysm the result of inflammatory process