Congenital Thoracic Aortic Disease

Abstract

Congenital abnormalities of the thoracic aorta encompass a variety of disorders with variable clinical manifestations ranging from asymptomatic to life threatening. A variety of imaging modalities are available for the evaluation of these anomalies with computed tomography (CT) commonly preferred due to its excellent spatial resolution and rapid acquisitions, avoiding the need of general anesthesia or even sedation. We review the embryology, imaging findings, and associations of multiple congenital thoracic aorta malformations with emphasis in the role of CT angiography in the evaluation of these pathologies.

Keywords: Aortic arch anomalies; Aortic arch interruption; Aortic hypoplasia; CT angiography; Coarctation; Vascular rings.