Does mechanical deterioration underlie malignant behavior of aneurysmal human ascending aorta?
The mechanical properties of the aneurysmal aorta deteriorate dramatically as the aorta enlarges, reaching critical levels associated with rupture by a diameter of 6 cm. This mechanical deterioration provides an explanation in engineering terms for the malignant clinical behavior (rupture and dissection) of the aorta at these dimensions. This work adds to our fundamental understanding of the biology of aortic aneurysms and promises to permit future application of engineering measurements to supplement aneurysm size in clinical decision making in aneurysmal disease.
Based on this NET population and specific assay performance characteristics, CgA alone provides sufficient information for the management of NET patients; the routine estimation of CgB in all patients is not informative in clinical practice.