title: [Imaging of the thoracic aorta in adults: when, how and why?].
abstract: CT, MRI and transesophageal echocardiography have become the standard of reference for evaluation of the thoracic aorta. Angiography is mainly performed as a presurgical procedure. Congenital pathologies observed during adulthood include coarctation, patent ductus arteriosus, and aberrant retroesophageal subclavian arteries. Imaging plays a major role for diagnosis and management of patients with acute aortic syndromes: intramural hematoma, dissection, penetrating ulcer and nondissecting aneurysms. Cross sectional imaging of the thoracic aortic wall allows evaluation of inflammatory diseases of the aorta or aortitis.
authors.affiliation: Service d'Imagerie Médicale, CHU la Timone, 254, rue Saint-Pierre, 13385 Marseille cedex 5. ajacquier@club-internet.fr
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jacquier
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Chabbert
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vidal
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Otal
authors.forename: J Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Gaubert
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Joffre
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rousseau
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bartoli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000792:Angiography; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000473:pathology*; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000175:diagnosis; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed