Thoracic aortic disease: spectrum of multidetector computed tomography imaging findings

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.