Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) is a local dilation of the thoracic aorta. Although universally used, aneurysm diameter alone is a poor predictor of major complications such as rupture. There is a need for better biomarkers for risk assessment that also reflect the aberrant flow patterns found in TAAs. Furthermore, hypertension is often present in TAA patients and may play a role in progression of aneurysm. The exact relation between TAAs and hypertension is poorly understood. This study aims to create a numerical model of hypertension in the aorta by using computational fluid dynamics. First, a normotensive state was simulated in which flow and resistance were kept unaltered. Second, a hypertensive state was modeled in which blood inflow was increased by 30%. Third, a hypertensive state was modeled in which the proximal and peripheral resistances and capacitance parameters from the three-element Windkessel boundary condition were adjusted to mimic an increase in resistance of the rest of the cardiovascular system. One patient with degenerative TAA and one healthy control were successfully simulated at hypertensive states and were extensively analyzed. Furthermore, three additional TAA patients and controls were simulated to validate our method. Hemodynamic variables such as wall shear stress, oscillatory shear index, endothelial cell activation potential (ECAP), vorticity and helicity were studied to gain more insight on the effects of hypertension on flow patterns in TAAs. By comparing a TAA patient and a control at normotensive state at peak-systole, helicity and vorticity were found to be lower in the TAA patient throughout the entire domain. No major changes in flow and flow derived quantities were observed for the TAA patient and control when resistance was increased. When flow rate was increased, regions with high ECAP values were found to reduce in TAA patients in the aneurysm region which could reduce the risk of thrombogenesis. Thus, it may be important to assess cardiac output in patients with TAA.

Objectives Degenerative thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) patients are known to be at risk of life-threatening acute aortic events. Guidelines recommend preemptive surgery at diameters of greater than 55 mm, although many patients with small aneurysms show only mild growth rates and more than half of complications occur in aneurysms below this threshold. Thus, assessment of hemodynamics using 4-dimensional flow magnetic resonance has been of interest to obtain more insights in aneurysm development. Nonetheless, the role of aberrant flow patterns in TAA patients is not yet fully understood. Materials and Methods A total of 25 TAA patients and 22 controls underwent time-resolved 3-dimensional phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging with 3-directional velocity encoding (ie, 4-dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging). Hemodynamic parameters such as vorticity, helicity, and wall shear stress (WSS) were calculated from velocity data in 3 anatomical segments of the ascending aorta (root, proximal, and distal). Regional WSS distribution was assessed for the full cardiac cycle. Results Flow vorticity and helicity were significantly lower for TAA patients in all segments. The proximal ascending aorta showed a significant increase in peak WSS in the outer curvature in TAA patients, whereas WSS values at the inner curvature were significantly lower as compared with controls. Furthermore, positive WSS gradients from sinotubular junction to midascending aorta were most prominent in the outer curvature, whereas from midascending aorta to brachiocephalic trunk, the outer curvature showed negative WSS gradients in the TAA group. Controls solely showed a positive gradient at the inner curvature for both segments. Conclusions Degenerative TAA patients show a decrease in flow vorticity and helicity, which is likely to cause perturbations in physiological flow patterns. The subsequent differing distribution of WSS might be a contributor to vessel wall remodeling and aneurysm formation.