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Document Details : Title: Significance of serum troponin I elevation in patients with acute aortic dissection of the ascending aorta Author(s): BONNEFOY, Eric , GODON, Patrick , KIKORIAN, Gilbert , CHABAUD, Sylvie , TOUBOUL, Paul Journal: Acta Cardiologica Volume: 60 Issue: 2 Date: April 2005 Pages: 165-170 DOI: 10.2143/AC.60.2.2005027 Abstract : Objective — This study evaluated the prevalence of increased cardiac troponin I (cTnI) in patients with acute aortic dissection of the ascending aorta (type A). Methods and results — In 119 consecutive patients with type A acute aortic dissection, serum cardiac troponin I was measured along with clinical, haemodynamic, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic variables obtained on admission. Cardiac troponin I was positive in 28 patients (23.5%; mean ± SD: 6.1 ± 14.7 ng/ml) and above the myocardial infarction threshold (1.5 ng/ml) in 12 (10%). Catecholamine infusion (17.9% vs. 4.4%; p = 0.03) and higher value of creatinine (35.7% vs. 15.4%; p = 0.03) were more frequent in patients with elevated troponin. Total mortality was 29.7% (n = 35) and surgical mortality was 16.8% (n = 17). An increased troponin was discriminatory with respect to mortality (OR: 4.1 (1.6-9.9); p = 0.002) in univariate analysis. However, this association was lost when other markers of death (age, stroke, ST-segment elevation, tamponade, catecholamine infusion, renal failure) were added in a multivariate model (OR: 2.2 (0.7-7.4); p = 0.19) indicating that the myocardial loss associated with troponin increase is not in itself a factor of mortality. Conclusions — Cardiac troponin I elevation is frequent in patients with type A aortic dissection. It might reflect a higher haemodynamic stress but does not necessarily reflect a negative prognosis. |
