On Tuesday 7 April 2020, L.R. Bons will defend her PhD dissertation, entitled: ‘Thoracic Aortic Disease: Imaging and Clinical Aspects’.
A dilation (aneurysm) of the large body artery in the chest (thoracic aorta) usually does not cause any complaints, but can cause an acute tear in the aorta (aortic dissection). This is a life-threatening situation. Patients with an aneurysm of the thoracic aorta can therefore experience a great mental burden, as can be read in my dissertation. People with serious dilation undergo preventive surgery, but it is not well known at which moment this operation should be performed. To be able to determine the right moment, it is necessary to reliably measure the thoracic aorta. During my PhD research I investigated with which technique and which imaging modality the thoracic aorta can best be measured. We recommend to perform at least once a more expensive but more accurate CT or MRI examination in every patient at risk for thoracic aortic diseases. We also give advice on when, how and where the aorta can be measured most reliably. In addition, we looked at the size of the thoracic aorta in the healthy population in order to know how often a dilated aorta occurs. We also looked at the growth of the thoracic aorta in the healthy population and in specific patient groups. We noticed that the aortic growth was limited. Some people without risk factors could therefore be seen in the hospital with larger intervals in between visits. This dissertation therefore answers many questions about the imaging and behavior of an aneurysm of the thoracic aorta.
The PhD defences will not take place publicly in the Senate Hall or Professor Andries Queridoroon due to the coronavirus. The candidates will defend their thesis online.