Pees C, et al. - Researchers investigated the elasticity of the ascending aorta as a surrogate marker of aortic wall texture in pediatric Turner syndrome. They prospectively examined pediatric patients with genetically proven Turner syndrome (TS) for the morphology of their aortic valve, and size and elasticity indices of the adjacent aorta. TS patients showed deteriorated elasticity indices, independent of aortic dilatation, bicuspid aortic valves (BAVs), and coarctation of the aorta (CoA). These elasticity indices were comparable to those of patients with isolated, non-syndromic BAVs. By measuring elasticity levels as a surrogate for aortic wall texture, evidence was gained suggesting TS to present with an intrinsic abnormality of the ascending aorta as early as in childhood. This was noted even in patients without concomitant BAV, CoA or dilatations.