Aortic dissection: diagnosis and follow-up with helical CT

Acute aortic dissection is a cardiovascular emergency that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. Helical computed tomography (CT) allows diagnosis of acute aortic dissection with a sensitivity and specificity of nearly 100%. With helical CT, a dissection involving the ascending aorta (type A in the Stanford classification) can be differentiated from one distal to the left subclavian artery (type B). Helical CT can also be used to identify atypical forms of aortic dissection such as intramural hematoma, penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer, ruptured type B dissection, and atypical configurations of the intimal flap. Helical CT is useful in follow-up of aortic dissection by allowing assessment of early and late changes after surgery or medical treatment. Such changes include postoperative complications of type A dissection, healing of intramural hematoma, progression of intramural hematoma, and aneurysms of the true or false lumen. Helical CT can also be used to monitor potentially life-threatening ischemic complications of abdominal branch vessels.