Squizzato F, Oderich GS, Bower TC, et al. - Researchers examined a population cohort of patients with newly diagnosed aortic dissection (AD) for determining the fate of aortic branches in these patients. Using the Rochester Epidemiology Project record linkage system, they identified residents diagnosed with AD. Of 77 total incident AD cases, they included 58 patients who survived with imaging follow-up, 28 (48%) with type A and 30 (52%) with type B AD. Outcomes revealed that aortic branch involvement was correlated with a significant long-term morbidity in patients with AD, without any related mortality. During the long-term follow-up, a higher risk of branch events was observed among patients with type B AD, patency of the aortic false lumen, or malperfusion syndrome at presentation. One third of cases exhibit dilatation of the aortic branches during follow-up; this was observed in particular in case of a patent aortic false lumen or Marfan syndrome.