Type A acute aortic dissection (AAD) is a life-threatening disease. The use of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) for diagnosing AAD has increased, and CT can provide pathophysiologic information on dissection such as intramural hematoma (IMH), longitudinal extent of dissection, and branch vessel involvement. However, the prognostic impact of these CT findings is poorly investigated. This multicenter registry included 703 patients with type A AAD. The longitudinal extent of dissection and IMH was determined on CT. Branch vessel involvement was defined as dissection extended into coronary, cerebral, and visceral arteries on CT. The evidence of malperfusion was defined based on clinical presentations. The primary endpoint was in-hospital death. Of 703 patients, 126 (18%) died during hospitalization. Based on contrast-enhanced CT findings, longitudinal extent of dissection was not associated with in-hospital death, while patients with IMH had lower in-hospital mortality than those without (13% vs 22%, p = 0.004). Coronary, cerebral, and visceral artery involvement on CT was found in 6%, 55%, and 32%. In patients with coronary artery involvement, 90% had clinical coronary malperfusion, while only 25% and 21% of patients with cerebral and visceral artery involvement had clinical evidence of corresponding organ malperfusion. Multivariable analysis showed evidence of malperfusion as a significant factor associated with in-hospital mortality. In conclusions, branch vessel involvement on CT was not always associated with end-organ malperfusion in patients with type A AAD, especially in cerebral and visceral arteries. Clinical evidence of malperfusion was significantly associated with in-hospital mortality beyond branch vessel involvement on CT.
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