Modification of Penn classification and its validation for acute type A aortic dissection

摘要

We read the recent report entitled Utility of the Penn Classification in Predicting Outcomes of Surgery for Acute Type A Aortic Dissection that was published in The American Journal of Cardiology,1 in which Kimura et al investigated whether Penn classes predict outcomes after surgery for acute type A aortic dissection (AAAD) by comparing the hospital outcomes of 351 patients divided into 4 groups based on Penn classification. The investigators proposed that morbidity and mortality were high in patients with generalized ischemia (Penn Ac and Penn Abe groups). In addition, they recommended that changing the surgical strategies based on the Penn classification is important. A more aggressive surgical approach, such as total arch replacement, should be performed in Penn class Aa cases, especially if patients are young.