2014 ESC Guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of aortic diseases

3D
: three-dimensional
AAA
: abdominal aortic aneurysm
AAS
: acute aortic syndrome
ACC
: American College of Cardiology
ACE
: angiotensin-converting enzyme
AD
: Aortic dissection
ADAM
: Aneurysm Detection and Management
AHA
: American Heart Association
AJAX
: Amsterdam Acute Aneurysm
AO
: aorta
AOS
: aneurysms-osteoarthritis syndrome
ARCH
: Aortic Arch Related Cerebral Hazard
ATS
: arterial tortuosity syndrome
BAV
: bicuspid aortic valve
BSA
: body surface area
CI
: confidence interval
CoA
: coarctation of the aorta
CPG
: Committee for Practice Guidelines
CSF
: cerebrospinal fluid
CT
: computed tomography
DREAM
: Dutch Randomized Aneurysm Management
DUS
: Doppler ultrasound
EBCT
: electron beam computed tomography
ECG
: electrocardiogram
EDS
: Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
EDSIV
: Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type IV
ESC
: European Society of Cardiology
ESH
: European Society of Hypertension
EVAR
: endovascular aortic repair
FDG
: 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose
FL
: false lumen
GCA
: giant cell arteritis
GERAADA
: German Registry for Acute Aortic Dissection Type A
IAD
: iatrogenic aortic dissection
IMH
: intramural haematoma
INSTEAD
: Investigation of Stent Grafts in Patients with type B Aortic Dissection
IRAD
: International Registry of Aortic Dissection
IVUS
: intravascular ultrasound
LCC
: left coronary cusp
LDS
: Loeys-Dietz syndrome
MASS
: Multicentre Aneurysm Screening Study
MESA
: Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis
MPR
: multiplanar reconstruction
MRA
: magnetic resonance angiography
MRI
: magnetic resonance imaging
MSCT
: multislice computed tomography
NA
: not applicable
NCC
: non-coronary cusp
ns-TAAD
: non-syndromic thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissection
OR
: odds ratio
OVER
: Open Versus Endovascular Repair
OxVasc
: Oxford Vascular study
PARTNER
: Placement of AoRtic TraNscathetER Valves
PAU
: penetrating aortic ulcer
PICSS
: Patent Foramen Ovale in Cryptogenic Stroke study
PET
: positron emission tomography
RCCA
: right common carotid artery
RCC
: right coronary cusp
RCT
: randomized, clinical trial
RR
: relative risk
SIRS
: systemic inflammatory response
SMC
: smooth muscle cell
TAA
: thoracic aortic aneurysm
TAAD
: thoracic aortic aneurysms and dissection
TAI
: traumatic aortic injury
TEVAR
: thoracic endovascular aortic repair
TGF
: transforming growth factor
TI
: separate thyroid artery (A. thyroidea)
TL
: true lumen
TOE
: transoesophageal echocardiography
TS
: Turner Syndrome
TTE
: transthoracic echocardiography
UKSAT
: UK Small Aneurysm Trial
ULP
: ulcer-like projection
WARSS
: Warfarin-Aspirin Recurrent Stroke Study

Guidelines summarize and evaluate all available evidence at the time of the writing process, on a particular issue with the aim of assisting health professionals in selecting the best management strategies for an individual patient, with a given condition, taking into account the impact on outcome, as well as the risk-benefit-ratio of particular diagnostic or therapeutic means. Guidelines and recommendations should help the health professionals to make decisions in their daily practice. However, the final decisions concerning an individual patient must be made by the responsible health professional(s) in consultation with the patient and caregiver as appropriate.

A great number of Guidelines have been issued in recent years by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) as well as by other societies and organisations. Because of the impact on clinical practice, quality criteria for the development of guidelines have been established in order to make all decisions …