[Spiral CT in aortic aneurysms. 2D and 3D reconstructions and CT angiography]

Spiral CT was performed in 8 normals and 40 patients with alterations of the large thoracic and abdominal vessels. It proved to be the ideal basis for 2D and 3D reconstructions. In 2D reconstruction the topographic aspects of aortic aneurysms were displayed better compared to the axial scans. In 3D reconstruction the segmentation of small vessels, and vessels running parallel to the scan plane showed problems. Stenoses were displayed unsatisfactory. In patients with aortic aneurysms 3D reconstruction showed well the location and dimension of the aneurysm as well as its position to branching arteries and the intraarterial thrombus. In case of dissecting aneurysms the true and the false lumen could clearly be distinguished. Colour-coded 3D reconstruction proved to be valuable to illustrate topographic information that could be detected only with difficulty on examining the original axial scan.