Does this patient have an acute thoracic aortic dissection?
The presence of pulse deficits or focal neurological deficits increases the likelihood of an acute thoracic aortic dissection in the appropriate clinical setting. Conversely, a completely normal chest radiograph result or the absence of pain of sudden onset lowers the likelihood. Overall, however, the clinical examination is insufficiently sensitive to rule out aortic dissection given the high morbidity of missed diagnosis.
The overexpression of TIMP-1 was an independent prognostic marker in patients with NSCLC, and evaluating TIMP-1 may be important for identifying patients who are at greater risk of disease recurrence.