In twenty-one MFS patients (mean age 36 ¡À 15 years, 11 male) regional PWV and aortic luminal areas were assessed by 1.5 T MRI. At 2-year follow-up, the incidence of luminal growth, defined as mean luminal diameter increase > 2 mm was determined for five aortic segments (S1, ascending aorta; S2, aortic arch; S3, thoracic descending aorta, S4, supra-renal and S5, infra-renal abdominal aorta). Regional PWV at baseline was considered increased when exceeding age-related normal PWV (healthy volunteers (n = 26; mean age 30 ¡À 10 years, 15 male)) by two standard-errors. Sensitivity and specificity of regional PWV-testing for prediction of regional luminal growth were determined.
Regional PWV at baseline was increased in 17 out of 102 segments (17 % ). Significant luminal growth at follow-up was reported in 14 segments (14 % ). The specificity of regional PWV-testing was ¡Ý 78 % for all aortic segments, sensitivity was ¡Ü 33 % .
Regional PWV was significantly increased in MFS patients as compared to healthy volunteers within similar age range, in all aortic segments except the ascending aorta. Furthermore, regional PWV-assessment has moderate to high specificity for predicting absence of regional aortic luminal growth for all aortic segments in MFS patients.