The Dean Effect: An Aortic Arch Flow Artifact Mimicking Dissection.

Alan Ropp1, Aletta A Frazier1, Bradley Gelfand1

  • 1Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, 1797 Warbler Way, Charlottesville, VA 22903 (A.R.); Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine (A.A.F., J.J.); and University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science, Charlottesville, Va (B.G.).

Summary

A flow-related artifact on CT angiography, the Dean effect, mimics aortic disease due to unique aortic arch hemodynamics. Understanding fluid mechanics helps radiologists identify and prevent this common vascular imaging artifact.

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