Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography
Volume 1, Issue 1 , Pages 40-54, July 2007

Thoracic aortic disease: Spectrum of multidetector computed tomography imaging findings

  • Suhny Abbara, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 22 Fruit Street, GRB-290, Boston, MA 02114, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author.
    • ,
  • Sanjeeva Kalva, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 22 Fruit Street, GRB-290, Boston, MA 02114, USA
    • ,
  • Ricardo C. Cury, MD

      Affiliations

    • Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 22 Fruit Street, GRB-290, Boston, MA 02114, USA
    • ,
  • Eric M. Isselbacher, MD

      Affiliations

    • Cardiology Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA

Received 12 March 2007; accepted 10 April 2007. published online 21 May 2007.

Abstract 

The clinical presentation of diseases involving the thoracic aorta ranges from a large number of asymptomatic patients with clinically undetectable thoracic aortic aneurysm to patients with symptoms of severe chest pain as a result of acute aortic dissection. Thoracic aortic disease often remains undiagnosed until a life-threatening complication occurs or the disease is discovered serendipitously on imaging studies performed for other purposes. Multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) imaging of the aorta is used to diagnose various acute and chronic conditions, including aortic aneurysms, aortic dissection, intramural hematoma, penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer, traumatic injury, rupture, inflammatory disorders, and congenital malformations. This review illustrates the wide range of MDCT imaging findings of thoracic aortic disease.

Keywords: Aorta, Multidetector computed tomography, Thoracic aortic disease

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 Conflict of interest: Dr Abbara reports that he has received a honorarium from Siemens and that he is on the medical advisory panel of EZEM and Partners Imaging. The other authors report no conflict of interest.

PII: S1934-5925(07)00004-4

doi:10.1016/j.jcct.2007.04.003

Journal of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography
Volume 1, Issue 1 , Pages 40-54, July 2007

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