Turner syndrome is a risk factor for aortic dilation

Girls and young women with Turner syndrome, a genetic disorder in girls caused by a missing or defective X (female) chromosome, are at increased risk of enlargement of the aorta (aortic dilation), according to a study published in the June 2008 issue of the journal Pediatrics. An enlarged aorta can tear or burst (called aortic dissection), and researchers had noted this happens more often at a young age with Turner syndrome.

A group of researchers studied the medical data of 138 individuals with Turner syndrome who were less than 18 years old and found that compared with a control population, Turner syndrome alone is an independent risk factor for aortic dilation.

Lopez, Leo, Kristopher L. Arheart, Steven D. Colan, Nancy S. Stein, Gabriela Lopez-Mitnik, Angela E. Lin, Mark D. Reller, Roque Ventura, & Michael Silberbach. "Turner Syndrome Is an Independent Risk Factor for Aortic Dilation in the Young." Pediatrics 121(2008): e1622-e1627.

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