Fifteen of these patients were lost to follow-up. Main Outcome Measures Groups were examined for statistical differences in age and aortic size at the time of diagnosis, growth rates of TAA, and rates of concomitant diseases. Nonsyndromic family pedigrees were analyzed and potential modes of inheritance were determined. The remaining 3 pedigrees displayed more complex modes of inheritance. Thoracic aortic aneurysms in association with multiplex pedigrees represent a new risk factor for aneurysm growth.
Pedigree analysis suggests genetic heterogeneity.
The primary mode of inheritance seems to be autosomal dominant, but X-linked dominant and recessive modes are also evident. Presented at the 79th Annual Meeting of the New England Surgical Society, Toronto, Ontario, September 25, 1998. All rights reserved.