Acute Aortic Dissection
Acute Aortic Dissection
Acute Aortic Dissection
Stanford classification
The Acute Aortic Syndrome (AAS) is
classified according to Stanford.
Stanford Type A
lesions involve the ascending aorta
and aortic arch and may or may not
involve the descending aorta.
Stanford Type B
lesions involve the thoracic aorta
distal to the left subclavian artery.
The Stanford classification has
replaced the DeBakey classification
(type I= ascending, arch and
descending aorta: type II= only
ascending aorta: type III= only
descending aorta).
Treatment options for the 2 subgroups
of the acute aortic syndrome (AAS) are
very different:
- Stanford type A will be treated with
Imaging features
In Aortic dissection an intima flap is seen in only 70% of cases.
When there are 2 lumina, these will spiral around each other
(figure).
On the left consecutive images are seen of a Type B dissection.
The true lumen is surrounded by calcifications.
The true lumen is smaller, as the false lumen wedges around the
true lumen due to permanent systolic pressure (so called Beaksign).
Thrombus material invariably is located in the false lumen, which
enhances later than the true lumen.
True lumen:
Surrounded by calcifications (if present)
Smaller than false lumen
Usually origin of celiac trunk, SMA and right renal artery
False lumen:
Flow or occluded by thrombus (chronic).
Delayed enhancement
Wedges around true lumen (beak-sign)
Collageneous media-remnants (cobwebs)
Larger than true lumen
Circular configuration (persistent systolic pressure)
Outer curve of the arch
Usually origin of left renal artery
Surrounds true lumen in Type A dissection
Type B Dissection
On the left an aortic dissection is seen with a large false lumen.
The compressed true lumen is seen on the inner side and is brighter than the
false lumen.
Thrombus formation within the false lumen.
The true lumen usually is smaller as the false lumen wedges around the true
lumen due to permanent systolic pressure.
The false lumen usually adheres to the outer curvature of the aortic arch, as
is seen in this case.