Stanford type B aortic dissection associated with pregnancy in patients with Marfan syndrome—A case report and review of the literature

SummaryA 36-year-old female patient known to have Marfan syndrome (MFS) presented with Stanford type B aortic dissection (type B-AD) 3 days after delivery although she had taken oral β-blocker and underwent prophylactic cesarean section at 34 weeks when she showed 42 mm of the ascending aorta. She was successfully treated medically without further progression of the dissection. A review of the literature revealed an additional 19 patients with MFS who suffered from type B-AD associated with pregnancy. Of 20 patients, 1 (5%) died but the remaining 19 patients were successfully treated either medically (n = 9) or surgically (n = 10). Of 13 patients whose aortic diameter was known, 5 showed <40 mm of the ascending aorta. Pregnancy in MFS can be complicated by type B-AD with a peak around term delivery irrespective of the size of ascending aorta and even with β-blocker.