The embryological formation of the aortic arch is a complex process involving multiple structures, leading to a wide range of anatomical conformations of this structure. Recently, a series of studies has shown possible associations between the conformation of the aortic arch and aortic dissection and aortic aneurysm. Given the high rate of morbidity and mortality associated with these pathologies, it is important to identify risk factors predisposing to their occurrence. This study investigated a possible association between anatomical variations of the aortic arch and aneurysm and aortic dissection. A case-control study was conducted by reviewing all CT angiography scans of patients treated at the University Hospital Mayor-Mederi between 2010 and 2021. Cases were defined as individuals with a positive diagnosis of aneurysm or aortic dissection, while controls were individuals with similar characteristics but without these diagnoses. A total of 753 patients were included, with 30 percent-flag-change presenting aneurysm, 7.2 percent-flag-change presenting aortic dissection, and only one case documented with both aneurysm and dissection. Additionally, 2 percent-flag-change reported ectasia, and 61 percent-flag-change of the sample served as controls. The most frequent type of aortic arch was Type I (76 percent-flag-change), followed by Type II (16.2 percent-flag-change), and finally Type III (5 percent-flag-change). No statistically significant relationship was found between anatomical variations of the aortic arch and aneurysm or dissection. When conducting a Fisher exact test between aortic arch variations and Stanford Types A and B for aortic dissection, a p-value of 0.08 was observed. No association could be established between aneurysm and aortic dissection with anatomical variations of the aortic arch. Further evaluation with a larger sample size is needed to explore the potential relationship between Stanford Type B aortic dissection and variations of the aortic arch.
