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(Radiology. 2000;214:87-98.)
© RSNA, 2000


Experimental Studies

True-Lumen Collapse in Aortic Dissection 1

Part I. Evaluation of Causative Factors in Phantoms with Pulsatile Flow

Jin Wook Chung, MD 2, Christopher Elkins, PhD, Toyohiko Sakai, MD, Noriyuki Kato, MD, Thomas Vestring, MD, Charles P. Semba, MD, Suzanne M. Slonim, MD and Michael D. Dake, MD

1 From the Division of Cardiovascular-Interventional Radiology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford Vascular Center, H-3647, 300 Pasteur Dr, Stanford, CA 94304-5105. Received November 30, 1998; revision requested January 21, 1999; revision received March 19; accepted May 6. Address reprint requests to M.D.D. (e-mail: mddake@leland.stanford.edu).


    Abstract
 TOP
 Abstract
 Introduction
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 References
 
PURPOSE: To investigate the causative factors in true-lumen collapse in a model of aortic dissection.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Phantoms with an aortic arch, true and false lumina with abdominal branch vessels, and a distal bifurcation were used to model a Stanford type B aortic dissection. The effects of anatomic factors (entry-tear size, branch-vessel flow distribution, fenestrations, distal reentry communication) and physiologic factors (peripheral resistance in the branch vessels, pump output and rate, vascular compliance) on true-lumen collapse were investigated. The morphology of the true lumen was observed. Branch pressures and flow rates were measured.

RESULTS: True-lumen collapse was induced and was exacerbated by an increase in the size of the entry tear, a decrease in the false-lumen outflow caused by occluding the false-lumen branch vessels, and an increase in the true-lumen outflow caused by lowering the peripheral resistance in true-lumen branch vessels. Two kinds of true-lumen collapse depended on pump output. With low pump output and low outflow resistance from the true lumen, the true lumen collapsed. With high pump output and low inflow resistance in the false lumen, the true lumen was compressed. Distal reentry communication between the true and false limbs was more effective than aortic fenestrations in preventing true-lumen collapse.

CONCLUSION: True-lumen collapse in this dissection model strongly depends on the difference in the ratios of inflow capacity to outflow capacity in the true and false lumina. Both anatomic and physiologic factors can affect true-lumen collapse.

Index terms: Aorta, dissection, 942.4124, 943.743, 981.743 • Aorta, flow dynamics • Aorta, stenosis or obstruction, 943.743, 981.743 • Aorta, US, 943.1298 • Phantoms, 942.412, 943.743, 981.743


    Introduction
 TOP
 Abstract
 Introduction
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 References
 
Aortic dissection is the most frequent nontraumatic catastrophe that affects the aorta, with an annual incidence exceeding that of spontaneous rupture of aortic aneurysms (1). Aortic dissection occurs with a frequency of 10–20 cases per million population per year. Approximately 30% (85 of 272 [2], 106 of 325 [3]) of patients with aortic dissection have one or more ischemic complications of the peripheral vasculature, including stroke, paraplegia, loss of peripheral pulses, and compromised renal or mesenteric perfusion. The surgical mortality rates for patients with acute aortic dissection complicated by compromise of a peripheral arterial branch exceed 50% (3); visceral and renal ischemia are important independent predictors of death as a result of surgery (2).

In the past, the direct propagation of a dissection flap into an aortic branch with the resultant compromise or obstruction of the true lumen was considered to be the basic mechanism for ischemic complications in the peripheral vasculature. This understanding was based on observations of cross-clamped or decompressed aortas without flow and on findings at necropsy.

Recently, collapse or obliteration of the true lumen was proposed as another important mechanism for compromise of the aortic branch in aortic dissection (4,5). This is based on antemortem cross-sectional imaging studies, including those performed with intravascular ultrasonography (US), that facilitate an appreciation of the effects of flow on the anatomic relationships between the flap, aortic lumina, and branch vessels (4,5). In this setting, the plane of the dissection flap spares the branch vessel. Instead, the flap is positioned in a curtainlike fashion across the origin of the vessel, which causes dynamic obstruction of the branch artery (5). According to the report by Williams et al (6), dynamic obstruction due to true-lumen collapse was the cause of the infradiaphragmatic organ or limb ischemia in 20 of 24 patients. Among the 20 patients, 14 had ischemia in multiple organs that involved the mesenteric, renal, and lower-limb circulations.

Theoretically, if it is possible to identify the factors that induce true-lumen collapse, it may be possible to develop effective treatments. The pathophysiologic mechanism of true-lumen collapse in aortic dissection is, however, still unclear.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the causative factors for true-lumen collapse in aortic dissection by using phantoms with pulsatile flow. The implications for effective treatment methods used to relieve true-lumen collapse are discussed in part II.


    MATERIALS AND METHODS
 TOP
 Abstract
 Introduction
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 References
 
Two models of dissection were built: one was compliant and opaque, and the other was rigid and transparent. The rigid, transparent model was created to allow visual observation of the true lumen along the length of the aorta. Each of these models simulated Stanford type B aortic dissection and had the following: an arch to turn the flow as it approached the primary entry tear; a dissected aortic body, which was created by dilating polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) vascular graft material (Impra, Tempe, Ariz) with a balloon and by gluing it inside another tube; branch vessels from both the true and false lumina; and a bifurcation that separated the distal true and false lumina, which allowed us to control the resistance at the distal exit. A reentry branch was added to allow communication between the lumina that were distal to the bifurcation. These models were placed in a pulsatile mock-flow loop, with water as the working fluid.

Pulsatile Mock-Flow Loop
Figure 1 shows the components of the pulsatile-flow loop that was filled with water at 28°C. The system was capable of providing average volumetric flow rates of 6 L/min, with physiologic pressures and flow velocities in the models. A centrifugal pump (model 3E-12N; Little Giant Pump, Oklahoma City, Okla) continuously pumped water from the storage tank through the supply control valve to the source tank. The pulsatile pump was a ventricular assist device (Thoratec Laboratories, Berkeley, Calif) and had disk valves. It was pneumatically driven by a controller that was supplied with compressed air from a gas cylinder. The following parameters were controlled: pump rate, systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, and systolic duration. The pump rates used in the experiments were 30, 60, 90, and 120 beats per minute.



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Figure 1. Schematic diagram shows the pulsatile flow apparatus. FL = false lumen, TL = true lumen, VAD = ventricular assist device.

 
The systolic pressure and systolic duration were set to 225 mm Hg and 250 msec, respectively. The actual systolic pressure of the aortic body depended on the pump output and on the outflow resistance of the model. The setting for diastolic pressure varied between 5 and 75 mm Hg and was the major determinant of the pump output. The relationship between the pump parameters, measured pump output, and intraluminal pressure in the aortic body is summarized in Table 1. (Abbreviations used in the tables appear in the Key Box.) The total pump output gradually increased with lower settings for diastolic pressure, as this caused greater dilatation and filling of the pump sac. The total pump output was largest with a pump rate of 60 beats per minute.


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TABLE 1. Pump Parameters, Measured Pump Output, and Intraluminal Pressure
 

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Key Box for Abbreviations Used in Tables
 
Compliant, Opaque Model
The compliant model is shown in Figures 2 and 3. The arch was made of two 90° sections from a flexible trap for a sink drain (Qwik Trap model PFT 150; Fernco, Davison, Mich). At the top of the arch, an acrylic tube with a 32-mm inner diameter (ID) was connected between the two 90° sections. A 9.5-mm–ID piece of acrylic tubing was glued into the large arch tube to provide an arch branch vessel.



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Figure 2. Photograph of the compliant, opaque phantom.

 


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Figure 3. Diagram of the compliant, opaque phantom.

 
The compliant tube for the aortic body was a 66 x 5-cm (26 x 2-inch) bicycle tire inner tube that had a 32-mm ID at 70 mm Hg of pressure; its diameter increased approximately 10% at a systolic pressure of 180 mm Hg. The true lumen was made of 10-mm–ID PTFE that was dilated to 32-mm ID by using balloon catheters. The dilated PTFE was glued inside the rubber tube along 25% of the circumference of the true lumen from its proximal extent to the bifurcation by using E6000 sealant and adhesive (Eclectic Products, Pineville, La) (Fig 4). At the proximal segment, the PTFE true lumen extended into the bend and was glued to its inside circumference. The primary entry tear was started by using a scalpel to make a straight transverse incision at the position shown in Figure 3 and was enlarged with sharp tapered pieces of plastic.



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Figure 4. Cross-sectional photograph of the compliant phantom shows a partially collapsed true lumen. The compliant tube used for the aorta was a bicycle tire inner tube. The true lumen (straight arrows) was made of balloon-dilated PTFE graft material. The dilated PTFE was glued along the lesser curve of the rubber tube along approximately 25% of the circumference of the true lumen (curved arrow).

 
The three branches from the true lumen and two branches from the false lumen were 10-mm–ID PTFE tubes separated by 32 mm. They were positioned to be contiguous with only the contributory aortic lumen, as shown in Figure 3. The true lumen extended distally through the aortic bifurcation; it was sealed around the inside of the 25-mm–ID exit tube of the true limb that was approximately 15 cm distal to the end of the inner tube. The flow from the false lumen exited through the exit tube of the false limb, which had the same diameter as the exit tube from the true limb. The true lumen was not attached to the interior wall of the model throughout the bifurcation, and, aside from being constrained at its distal end, it was free to move within the bifurcation.

The exit branches and limbs of the model contained resistive, compliant, and measurement elements. The compliant and resistive elements were tuned to provide physiologic pressure and volumetric flow waveforms in the model. The 10-mm–ID PTFE arch and branch vessels were sequentially connected to rigid pressure taps, compliant sections, and polyvinyl chloride stopcock valves (Ryan Herco Products, Burbank, Calif), which served as resistive elements. The compliant elements consisted of 10-cm lengths of rubber tubing made from a 69 x 3-cm (27 x 1.25-inch) bicycle tire inner tube. The nominal ID of these compliant sections was 19 mm at a pressure of 70 mm Hg. In the parts distal to these elements, the flow traveled through 5.5 m of 6.4-mm–ID polyvinyl tubing before it reached the exit tank (Fig 1). The resistance of the exit branches was also controlled by changing the height of the tubing in the exit tank.

Each outflow tube from the bifurcation was sequentially connected to a reducing adapter, a compliant element, a polyvinyl chloride reducing tee, and an acetal wye. The compliant elements consisted of 10-cm lengths of rubber tubing made from a 66 x 5-cm (26 x 2-inch) bicycle tire inner tube. The nominal ID of the compliant section was 32 mm at a pressure of 70 mm Hg. The acetal wye created two lumina, which allowed an exit path for the flow and an access to each lumen for catheterization. The access side of the wye was connected to a tapered adapter. The end of the adapter with the Luer-Lok hub was connected to a Y-arm adapter, which allowed sealable access for catheters with diameters up to 11 F. A pressure tap and a distal stopcock valve were connected to the side of the wye with flow. Each limb was completed with 5.5 m of 6.4-mm–ID polyvinyl tubing.

Between the reducing tees for each limb, a reentry branch was added to allow distal communication between the true and false lumina. The reentry branch contained a resistive element in the form of a stopcock valve and a flow rate sensor. The stopcock valve was used with 69 cm of 6.4-mm–ID polyvinyl tubing; this was the small reentry branch. The large reentry branch was 10 cm of 12.7-mm–ID polyvinyl tubing without the stopcock valve and had a resistance much lower than that of the small reentry branch.

Rigid, Transparent Model
The rigid, transparent model shown in Figures 5 and 6 was made to allow observation of flap movement and to test the effects of the fenestrations. Its arch was composed of a compliant 90° bend similar to that used in the compliant model, a compliant bulb with a 10-mm–ID PTFE branch vessel, and a transparent acrylic 90° bend. The compliant bulb smoothed the pressure changes and provided capacitance that maintained aortic flow through diastole. The bulb was 10 cm long, with a nominal 38-mm ID at 70 mm Hg. It was constructed from an inner tube from a motor scooter tire. An arch branch vessel that was glued to the compliant bulb allowed access for catheters with diameters up to 22 F.



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Figure 5. Photograph of the rigid, transparent phantom.

 


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Figure 6. Diagram of the rigid, transparent phantom.

 
The aortic body was a 40-cm–long, 32-mm–ID acrylic tube. The true lumen was made of 10-mm–ID PTFE that was dilated to a 20-mm ID. It was glued inside the tube along approximately 33% of the circumference of the true lumen from its proximal extent to the bifurcation. At the proximal portion, the PTFE true lumen extended 6.4 cm into the transparent acrylic 90° bend and was sealed around its 32-mm ID. The primary entry tear was created with the same method that was used for the compliant model.

As in the compliant model, 10-mm–ID PTFE graft segments were glued to the body to create branch vessels that were contiguous with only the directly contributory aortic lumen. In this model, the two branches from the false lumen were diametrically opposed to the two distal branches from the true lumen. At the distal part, the true lumen extended 11.4 cm through the bifurcation into a 20-mm–ID acrylic tube, where it was sealed around the inside circumference. The flow from the false lumen exited through the exit tube of the false limb with a 25-mm ID.

Other features were incorporated into this model. The rigid nature of the model allowed us to install pressure taps to monitor the pressure in the lumina proximal and distal to the exit branches. Fenestration-branch loops were also incorporated into the model. These loops allowed fluid exchange between the true and false lumina in much the same way natural and artificial fenestrations do in human dissections. These loops consisted of two 3.8-cm–long pieces of 10-mm–ID PTFE that were glued to the aortic tube at diametrically opposed positions. Glued to each of these was a 23-cm–long piece of 7.9-mm–ID tubing (Tygon R-3603; Norton Performance Plastics, Akron, Ohio). The loops were completed by joining these tubes to a double-tapered tubing connector with a 6.3-mm ID. Dura clamps (Ryan Herco Products) were used to open and close these fenestration branches. The exit branches and limbs and the pulsatile-flow loop were the same as those used in the compliant model.

Instrumentation and Measurement Systems
A model 486 66-MHz personal computer (Adisys, Sunnyvale, Calif) with a 12-bit Lab PC+ data acquisition card (National Instruments, Austin, Tex) was used to sample up to eight pressure and flow signals. Data were continuously sampled at 50 hertz per channel for up to 2 minutes. The software for data acquisition was written in the LabView programming language (National Instruments).

Pressure was measured by using two instruments. Initially, a single Mikro-tip catheter (model SPC-350MR; Millar Instruments, Houston, Tex) was used. As it became important to monitor pressure in several locations simultaneously, pressure transducers from pressure monitoring kits (Sorenson Transpac IV; Abbott Laboratories, North Chicago, Ill) were used. This pressure measurement system had a resolution of 0.5 mm Hg. The accuracy of the Sorenson transducers was ±2 mm Hg due to our calibration technique and due to the fact that the calibration sometimes drifted ±1 mm Hg in the 10-minute measurement periods between calibrations. This accuracy was sufficient for a comparison of the pressure waveforms in different operating conditions. In some cases, we were interested in the pressure differences in the lumina that would move the intimal flap. In these cases, all of the transducers were calibrated precisely, and data were collected immediately thereafter. The uncertainty in the relative pressure measurements was only a fraction of 1 mm Hg.

The volumetric flow rate was measured in two ways. To measure the average volume flow rates through the exit branches, a bucket and a stopwatch were used. The measurements proved to be highly repeatable to within 5%. As an alternative, a 6.4-mm In-Line Flowprobe (model 6N; Transonic Systems, Ithaca, NY) and a T101 ultrasonic blood flow meter (Transonic Systems) were used to measure the time-dependent volumetric flow rate through the branches, the direction of flow through the reentry branch, and the relationship of the flow rate to the pressure waveforms.

Temperature affected the viscosity of the water, the compliance of the PTFE graft material, and the rubber components of the model. The water temperature in the source tank was monitored with a type K thermocouple probe and a digital thermometer (2166A; Fluke, Everett, Wash). The temperature was maintained at 28°C ± 1; this amount of drift did not affect the dynamics we observed.

The compliant model described previously was opaque, so intravascular US with a 10-F, 10-MHz intracardiac catheter (Cardiovascular Imaging Systems, Sunnyvale, Calif) was used to monitor flap movement primarily in the branch-vessel region of the model. Because the PTFE was exceedingly echoic and because the rubber tube was relatively anechoic, the intravascular US catheter was placed in only the false lumen for imaging.

Investigation of Causative Factors
With these two models, we observed the morphology of the true lumen and the presence or absence of branch-flow compromise for a large number of pump settings and model configurations. True-lumen collapse was defined as the obliteration of the true lumen with associated compromise of flow in the true-lumen branch. True-lumen obliteration was assessed by means of visual inspection (rigid, transparent model) or intravascular US (compliant model). Compromise of the flow in the true-lumen branch was evaluated as an evident decrease in the branch outflow at the exit tank and as a decreased intraluminal pressure and flow rate, as measured at the branch.

The investigated variables were pump parameters (rate and output), patterns of flow distribution in the branch vessels, peripheral resistance of the branch vessels, compliance of the phantom, entry-tear size, and communications between true and false lumina through the distal reentry and fenestration branches. The effects of the flow distribution in the branch vessels, peripheral resistance of the branch vessels, compliance, and distal reentry communication were tested with the compliant model; the effects entry-tear size were tested in both models; and the effects of the fenestrations were tested with the rigid, transparent model.

Five branch-vessel flow distributions similar to those seen in clinical situations were investigated (Fig 7). Lower peripheral resistance in abdominal branch vessels that originated from the true lumen was simulated by lowering the height of the tubing in the exit tank by 30 cm; this was equivalent to a 22 mm Hg decrease in pressure. The effects of the compliance in the model were tested with the compliant model by strapping rigid 32-mm–ID acrylic tubing around the aorta and compliant elements in the true and false limbs. The effects entry-tear size were observed by gradually increasing its transverse length from 10 to 30 mm. The ability of the natural fenestrations to prevent and to contribute to true-lumen collapse was investigated by opening the fenestration-branch loops to allow fluid exchange between the true and false lumina.



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Figure 7. Diagram of the patterns of flow distribution in the branch vessels. Solid lines indicate patent vessels, and dotted lines indicate closed vessels. Case 1 has equal flow distribution, with an equal number of branch vessels from the true and false lumina. Case 2 has increased true-lumen outflow and decreased false-lumen outflow by one branch each. Cases 3 and 4 have decreased false-lumen outflow due to the closing of an abdominal branch and limb, respectively. In case 5, the false lumen is a blind sac without any outflow.

 
Most of the data from the experiments comprised the visual observations (made by J.W.C.) of flap movement and the classification of the extent of true-lumen collapse. For each case, the pump parameters were set, and the true lumen was opened by closing the branches from the true lumen if necessary. Then, the flow distribution in the branch vessels was set according to one of the five cases, and the flap was observed for 2 minutes.


    RESULTS
 TOP
 Abstract
 Introduction
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 References
 
In both models, it was possible to demonstrate true-lumen collapse and dynamic obstruction of the true-lumen branch vessels by positioning the dissection flap across the vessel origin in a curtainlike fashion (Figs 8, 9). Figure 8 shows the true-lumen collapse that started at the second true-lumen branch and extended distally. Figure 9 shows a time record of the pressures and branch flow as the true lumen collapsed.



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Figure 8. Photograph of true-lumen collapse in the rigid, transparent phantom shows the collapse (straight arrow) below the second abdominal branch from the true lumen. Note the curtainlike draping of the dissection flap (curved arrow) across the origin of the third abdominal branch and distal to it.

 


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Figure 9. Graph of the pressure and flow measurements recorded during the collapse of the true lumen. Pressure in the iliac true limb (TL) shows a decrease after approximately 2 seconds, which indicates the start of the collapse. As the true-lumen collapse propagates proximally, the pressure in the aorta and branches increases slightly (3-15 seconds). Flow measured at the second abdominal branch from the true lumen also increases. After about 16 seconds, pressure in the second abdominal branch from the true lumen (TB2) decreases suddenly as the flap collapses across the origin of the branch. As a result, at approximately 20 seconds, there is a marked decrease in the flow at the second abdominal branch from the true lumen and an increase in the false-lumen pressure measured at the second abdominal branch from the false lumen (FB2). This sequence of variations in the pressures and flow rates measured in the branches from the true and false lumina represents the typical pattern that characterized the initiation and propagation of the true-lumen collapse observed in both the compliant and noncompliant models.

 
The effects of lower peripheral resistance in the true-lumen branches on the outflow distribution from the true and false lumina in case 1 are summarized in Table 1. Note that the flow rates and pressures approximate human physiologic conditions in the descending aorta and in its branches. The most notable effect of the lower peripheral resistance was the increase in the outflow from the true-lumen branch relative to that of the false-lumen branch. This had direct relevance to the development of true-lumen collapse in the model for the widely varied pump parameters.

The data in Table 1 show that the total volumetric flow rate increased with decreasing pump settings for diastolic pressure. Lower settings caused the pump sac to fill, which increased the stroke volume. Thus, high-output conditions existed for low settings for diastolic pressure; low-output conditions existed for high settings for diastolic pressure. In many cases, the distinction between high output and low output was important because the stroke volume had a marked effect on flap movement.

Table 2 summarizes the observations of the compliant model with a 30-mm entry tear and with the same peripheral resistance in the true- and false-lumen branches. Note that true-lumen collapse developed only in the cases with the most restricted outflow from the false lumen (cases 3–5). In case 1, with equal outflow from both lumina, there was no true-lumen collapse. Case 5, with the false lumen with a blind sac, exhibited the most severe true-lumen collapse.


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TABLE 2. Effect of Branch-Vessel Flow Distribution, Pump Rate, and Pump Output
 
In case 1, the true-lumen pressure was always higher than the false-lumen pressure, and the true lumen was wide open. An increase in the pump output preferentially increased the true-lumen pressure. Accordingly, the flow through the distal reentry communication proceeded from the true lumen to the false lumen, and its amount increased with an increase in the pump output.

However, in case 5, the false-lumen pressure was usually higher than the true-lumen pressure. In this case, an increase in the pump output preferentially increased the false-lumen pressure and reversed the direction of the reentry flow. As a result, true-lumen collapse occurred with most conditions in case 5. Interestingly, there were small differences in the status of the true lumen that corresponded to the pump rate and output. For pump rates of 60 and 90 beats per minute, there was a window between the high- and low-output states in which the true-lumen collapse did not occur.

The changes in the true lumen given in Table 3 indicate that lowering the peripheral resistance in the abdominal branches from the true lumen promoted true-lumen collapse and caused low-output collapse in every pattern of flow distribution from the branch vessels. In the cases with true-lumen collapse, the mean true-lumen pressure was usually lower than the mean false-lumen pressure.


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TABLE 3. Effect of Lowering the Peripheral Resistance in the True-Lumen Abdominal Branches
 
To elucidate the effect of pulsatile flow on true-lumen collapse, a steady-state flow experiment was performed in the compliant model (Table 4). In the cases with the same peripheral resistance in and with low outflow through the true- and false-lumen branches, the true lumen appeared to be collapsed, without a compromise of the branch flow. With the increasing outflow in cases 3–5, true-lumen collapse started from the lower limb and propagated proximally to the abdominal branches, although the flow through the first true-lumen abdominal branch was well preserved, even in a high-outflow state. In cases with lower peripheral resistance in the true-lumen branches, severe true-lumen collapse was induced, even in case 1, if there was no substantial outflow through the false lumen.


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TABLE 4. Observations of Steady-State Flow in the Compliant, Opaque Model
 
The observations of the effect of compliance are summarized in Table 5. Noncompliance exacerbated true-lumen collapse. When the compliance of the model was removed, true-lumen collapse occurred in a wider range of conditions. Moreover, the window of pump output parameters that did not result in true-lumen collapse disappeared.


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TABLE 5. Effect of Compliance
 
Table 6 shows that in the experiments with the same peripheral resistance in the true- and false-lumen branches, an increase in the size of the entry tear aggravated the degree of collapse and induced true-lumen collapse for a wider range of pump settings in cases 4 and 5. The pressure data in Table 7 can be used to help explain this finding. In cases 1 and 4, with a 10-mm entry tear, the pressure in the true lumen was always higher than that of the false lumen, and true-lumen collapse did not occur. However, with a 30-mm entry tear, the true-lumen pressure was almost equal to the false-lumen pressure, and true-lumen collapse occurred in case 4. In case 5, pressure measurements revealed almost equal pressures in the true and false lumina, and true-lumen collapse developed, even with a small 10-mm entry tear. In general, a similar relationship between the size of the entry tear and the degree of true-lumen collapse existed in the compliant model.


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TABLE 6. Effect of Entry-Tear Size
 

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TABLE 7. Pressure Differences Between the True and False Lumina in the Aorta
 
Communication between the true and false limbs through the small reentry branch was slightly effective in preventing true-lumen collapse. The flow through the true-lumen branches was well preserved, although the true lumen appeared morphologically compressed in cases with a large reentry branch. In high-output conditions, however, with a pump rate of 60 beats per minute, flow in the true-lumen branch was compromised. A reentry communication could not equalize the pressure gradient between the true and false lumina, but it was somewhat effective in maintaining the flow in the branch from the true lumen.

Patent fenestration-branch loops between the true and false lumina in the body of the aorta were not effective in preventing true-lumen collapse (Table 8). Opening the first and second fenestration-branch loops, proximal to the branch vessels, slightly aggravated the true-lumen collapse. Opening the third, fourth, or all fenestration loops slightly alleviated the true-lumen collapse. The third and fourth fenestrations loops were distal to the branch vessels. Compared with the fenestration-branch loops, the distal reentry communication between the true and false limbs was more effective in preventing true-lumen collapse.


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TABLE 8. Effect of Fenestrations in the Aorta and Distal Reentry Branch
 

    DISCUSSION
 TOP
 Abstract
 Introduction
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 References
 
Findings from this experiment demonstrated that the true lumen collapsed with an increase in the size of the entry tear, a decrease in the false-lumen outflow caused by occluding the false-lumen branch vessels, and an increase in the true-lumen outflow created by lowering the peripheral resistance in true-lumen branch vessels.

On the basis of the observations, it is hypothesized that the difference in the ratios of the inflow capacity to the outflow capacity between the true and false lumina generated a transmural pressure gradient across the dissection flap and that this pressure gradient moved the flap. According to this hypothesis, true-lumen collapse was the result of the higher ratio of inflow capacity to outflow capacity for the false lumen. Therefore, to relieve true-lumen collapse, it is conceptually desirable to decrease the false-lumen inflow capacity and to increase the false-lumen outflow capacity. The placement of a stent-graft over the entry tear and the creation of outflow branches are two possible treatment options.

Pump output was an important factor in true-lumen collapse in both models. Pump output seemed to have different effects according to the ratio of inflow capacity to outflow capacity in the true and false lumina. For conditions in which the false-lumen inflow capacity was restricted compared with its outflow capacity, an increase in the pump output preferentially increased the true-lumen pressure, and true-lumen collapse never developed. However, for conditions in which the false-lumen outflow capacity was restricted compared with its inflow capacity, the effect of the increase in the pump output was complicated.

For example, in case 5 with a pump rate of 90 beats per minute (Table 2), there was a true-lumen collapse in the low-output states. The increase in the pump output initially prevented true-lumen collapse. However, a further increase in pump output caused a preferential increase in the false-lumen pressure and induced a severe true-lumen collapse. The presence of a safe window between the zones with true-lumen collapse suggested there were two mechanisms: low-output collapse and high-output compression. This safe-window phenomenon was more prominent in the compliant model. Low-output collapse was exaggerated when the peripheral resistance in the true-lumen branches was lower than that of the false-lumen branches.

Low peripheral resistance in the true-lumen abdominal branches can contribute to low-output collapse. Williams et al (7) presented data from a patient in whom sudden restoration of true-lumen outflow resulted in a true-lumen collapse and in a profound systolic-pressure deficit. That clinical experience strongly supports the observations that an increase in the true-lumen outflow accelerates true-lumen collapse. Williams et al (7) also suggest that if false-lumen pressure exceeds true-lumen pressure, an element of true-lumen compression may be added to the intrinsic true-lumen collapse. The present experiment proved the presence of true-lumen compression in the high-output states and confirmed a higher false-lumen pressure in these situations.

When we compared the observations of steady-state flow (Table 4) with those of pulsatile flow (Tables 2, 3), pulsatile flow seemed to have prevented true-lumen collapse in many conditions (eg, the medium to high output results for case 1 (Table 3). It is believed that these safe windows for pump operation are related to wave propagation within the models and that they are functions of model compliance and geometry. Although they are not exactly the same, there are similar waves in the pulsatile flow within the human vascular system. In light of this, the observations made in this experiment suggest that the regulation of heart rate and systemic pressure may provide a feasible treatment for the prevention of true-lumen collapse in patients with dissection.

In both steady-state and pulsatile flow, true-lumen compression started from the lower-limb vessels and propagated proximally to the abdominal vessels (Fig 9). Therefore, in our models, isolated lower-limb ischemia was indicative of a form of true-lumen collapse that was milder than that associated with mesenteric and/or renal ischemia. However, this conclusion is based on a relatively specific set of anatomic parameters that does not fully represent the complexity typically observed in clinical cases.

An evaluation of the effects of the communication channels between the true and false lumina (ie, fenestrations and reentry tears) showed that a distal communication was better at preventing true-lumen collapse. The beneficial effect of the fenestration-branch loops in the aorta was unexpectedly limited or absent (Table 8). In fact, the fenestration-branch loops proximal to the abdominal branch vessels slightly aggravated the true-lumen collapse; this suggests that they may have acted as additional entry tears.

The distal reentry communication between the true and false limbs showed variable effectiveness in preventing true-lumen collapse, depending on its size. Although the distal reentry communication in our models simulated a distal reentry tear, strictly speaking, it was close to a femorofemoral bypass. Therefore, radiologic fenestrations just above the iliac bifurcation or femorofemoral bypass may mitigate the effects of true-lumen collapse.

In conclusion, true-lumen collapse in aortic dissection was demonstrated in phantoms with pulsatile flow; it strongly depended on the difference between the ratios of the inflow capacity to the outflow capacity for the true and false lumina. True-lumen collapse occurred in low- and high-output states. Low peripheral resistance in the true-lumen branches contributed to the low-output collapse of the true lumen. High-output compression of the true lumen developed in the conditions in which the false-lumen outflow was restricted compared with the inflow. Fenestrations in the dissection flap proximal to the aortic bifurcation had little effect on true-lumen collapse, whereas distal reentry communications showed a considerable effect in preventing true-lumen collapse.Practical application: Both models simulated the gross morphology of the human aorta. However, there were many differences in the compliance of the vascular wall, the hemodynamic characteristics of the pulsatile flow, the viscosity of the working fluid, and the detailed anatomy of the dissection. Therefore, one should be cautious when applying the results of this experiment to human aortic dissection. The purpose of this study was to give insight into the pathophysiology and treatment of true-lumen collapse in aortic dissection and to motivate further experimental and clinical studies.


    Footnotes
 
2 Current address: Department of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Korea. Back

See also the article by Chung et al (pp 99–106 ) in this issue.

Abbreviations: ID = inner diameter PTFE = polytetrafluoroethylene

Author contributions: Guarantor of integrity of entire study, M.D.D.; study concepts, J.W.C., C.E., T.S., M.D.D.; study design, J.W.C., C.E., T.S., N.K., M.D.D.; definition of intellectual content, J.W.C., C.E., M.D.D.; literature research, J.W.C.; experimental studies, J.W.C., C.E., T.S., N.K., T.V.; data acquisition, J.W.C., C.E., T.S., N.K., T.V.; data analysis, J.W.C., C.E., M.D.D.; manuscript preparation, J.W.C., C.E., M.D.D., C.P.S., S.M.S.; manuscript editing and review, C.E., M.D.D., C.P.S., S.M.S.


    References
 TOP
 Abstract
 Introduction
 MATERIALS AND METHODS
 RESULTS
 DISCUSSION
 References
 

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  4. Slonim SM, Nyman UR, Semba CP, Miller DC, Mitchell RS, Dake MD. True lumen obliteration in complicated aortic dissection: endovascular treatment. Radiology 1996; 201:161-166.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
  5. Williams DM, Lee DY, Hamilton BH, et al. The dissected aorta. III. Anatomy and radiologic diagnosis of branch-vessel compromise. Radiology 1997; 203:37-44.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
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