Significance of Hemodynamics Biomarkers, Tissue Biomechanics and Numerical Simulations in the Pathogenesis of Ascending Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms

Abstract

Guidelines for the treatment of aortic wall diseases are based on measurements of maximum aortic diameter. However, aortic rupture or dissections do occur for small aortic diameters. Growing scientific evidence underlines the importance of biomechanics and hemodynamics in aortic disease development and progression. Wall shear stress (WWS) is an important hemodynamics marker that depends on aortic wall morphology and on the aortic valve function. WSS could be helpful to interpret aortic wall remodeling and define personalized risk criteria. The complementarity of Computational Fluid Dynamics and 4D Magnetic Resonance Imaging as tools for WSS assessment is a promising reality. The potentiality of these innovative technologies will provide maps or atlases of hemodynamics biomarkers to predict aortic tissue dysfunction. Ongoing efforts should focus on the correlation between these non-invasive imaging biomarkers and clinico-pathologic situations for the implementation of personalized medicine in current clinical practice.

Keywords: Magnetic resonance imaging; aortic dissection.; ascending thoracic aorta aneurysms; computational fluid dynamics; vascular remodeling; wall shear stress.