Purpose
While CT-aortography radioilogist must assess not only the condition of the vascular system.
The radiologist must be able to interpret and systematize the accompayning disease of other organs,
including the mediastinum,
lungs,
abdominal cavity,
retroperitoneal space and pelvis.
The aim of the present study was to evaluate CT-aortography employment to diagnose accompanying pathology in patients with aortic disease.
Methods and Materials
From 2014 to 2015 we examinated 793 patients (age 55±10 years) with various pathology aorta: atherosclerosis,
dissections by MDCT.
The examinations were obtained by 256-flow MDCT with 0.625 mm detector collimation (Siemens Definition Flash 256,
Germany).
We applied the standard algorithm of examination.
Initially we used non-enhanced scanning with 2mm or 5mm slices.
A total of 100 vL of nonionic contrast material was injected at a flow rate of 3-4 mL\s.
Evaluation of the images included axial slices,
volume rendering mode,
MIP,
MPR and curved...
Results
There were 793 patients assessed.
In 751 patients we found hemodynamically significant stenosis of aorta and \ or its branches (Fig.1); in 140 patients we observed different types of vascular aneurism (Fig.2) and dissection (Fig.3).
We have identified shunts (Fig.4) and aortic implants (Fig.5).
We was found aortic branches aneurisms (Fig.6).
Pulmonary pathology (Fig.7) was found in 769 patients (of those 16 suspicious malignancies; two patients had central lung tumor,
Fig.8A,8B); in 568 cases there were focal pulmonary diseases (in 419 - solitary,
in 149...
Conclusion
While performing CT-aortography one should always take into consideration not only aorta and its branches status but other organs as well.
Thus we able to get complete vision about the human body status.
This information may considerably change patient management and improvesurvival rates and prognosis.
References
Eva Castaner et al.
CT in Nontraumatic Acute Thoracic Aortic Disease: Typical and Atypical Features and Complications.
RadioGraphics,
Volume 23,
October 2003
Jeremy jones et al.
Acute Aortic Syndromes.
Radiopaedia.org
Smith and Schoenhagen,
cleveland clinic journal of medicine,
volume 75 ,
number 1,
january 2008
V.
Van Rompaey et al.
CT Imaging of Acute Thoracic Aortic Dissection.
JBR–BTR,
2007,
90: 222-223