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An Approach to Point-Of-Care Ultrasound Evaluation of the Abdominal Aorta
07:12

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CT of acute abdominal aortic disorders

Sanjeev Bhalla1, Christine O Menias, Jay P Heiken

  • 1Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, 510 South Kingshighway, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. bhallas@mir.wustl.edu

Radiologic Clinics of North America
|December 10, 2003
PubMed

Insights

Helical CT is the primary imaging choice for acute abdominal aortic conditions due to its speed. Other imaging modalities like MR, angiography, and ultrasound play secondary or specific roles in diagnosis.

Area of Science:

  • Radiology
  • Vascular Imaging
  • Emergency Medicine

Background:

  • Acute abdominal aortic conditions include aneurysm rupture, dissection, PAU, occlusion, injury, and fistula.
  • Prompt diagnosis is critical for effective management of these life-threatening conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To outline the role of various imaging modalities in diagnosing acute abdominal aortic conditions.
  • To highlight helical CT as the primary imaging modality.

Main Methods:

  • Review of imaging techniques for acute aortic pathologies.
  • Discussion of helical CT, MR imaging, conventional angiography, and ultrasound.

Main Results:

  • Helical CT is the imaging test of choice due to speed and ED proximity.
  • MR imaging is valuable for aortic dissection and PAU, especially with contrast contraindications.
  • Conventional angiography serves as a secondary tool for equivocal cross-sectional findings.
  • Ultrasound is useful when CT is unavailable and MR is not feasible.

Conclusions:

  • Helical CT is the preferred initial imaging modality for acute abdominal aortic conditions.
  • MR imaging, angiography, and ultrasound have specific indications and complementary roles in diagnosis.

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