title: Motion artifact simulating aortic dissection on CT.
abstract: We recently imaged two patients clinically suspected of having aortic dissection whose contrast-enhanced CT examinations, obtained on a new scanner with a 1-sec scanning time, showed findings suggesting an ascending aortic dissection. The subsequent clinical course and evaluation implied that the CT findings were predominantly artifactual. We identified identical artifacts in 18% of 50 consecutive contrast-enhanced CT examinations performed for a variety of indications on the same scanner. The double-lumen artifact, simulating an intimal flap, occurs in the proximal ascending aorta and is limited to one or two contiguous transaxial images. The artifact was not detected on two other CT units. We believe the artifact arises from motion of the aortic wall and the surrounding pericardial recesses during image acquisition.
authors.affiliation: Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.forename: P L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Gutierrez
authors.forename: S S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Sagel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001011:Aorta / Q000502:physiology; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001027:Aortography; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed