title: Assessment of thoracic aortic conformational changes by four-dimensional computed tomography angiography in patients with chronic aortic dissection type b.
abstract: To characterize the heartbeat-related distension of dissected and non-dissected thoracic aortic segments in chronic aortic dissection type b (CADB) ECG-gated computed tomography angiography was performed in ten CADB patients. For 20 time points of the R-R interval, multiplanar reformations were taken at non-dissected (A, B) and dissected (C) aorta: ascending aorta (A), aortic vertex (B), 10 cm distal to left subclavian (Ct, true channel; Cf, false channel). Relative amplitudes of aortic area and major and minor axis diameter changes were quantified. Area amplitudes were 12.9 +/- 3.7%, 11.4 +/- 1.8%, 16.5 +/- 5.9% and 10.5 +/- 5.7% at A, B, Ct and Cf, respectively. Area amplitudes were significantly greater at Ct than at Cf and B (p < 0.05). Major axis diameter amplitudes were 7.7 +/- 1.9%, 6.2 +/- 1.3%, 5.9 +/- 2.0% and 6.1 +/- 3.6% at A, B, Ct and Cf, respectively. There were no differences in major axis diameter amplitudes. Minor axis diameter amplitudes were 6.7 +/- 2.1%, 8.4 +/- 1.9%, 12.7 +/- 6.3% and 6.0 +/- 2.2% at A, B, Ct and Cf, respectively. Minor axis diameter amplitudes were significantly the greatest at Ct (p < 0.05). In CADB, the heartbeat-related distension of aortic area and diameter is evenly distributed over the non-dissected aortic arch. As a result from different blood flow properties, there are significantly greater conformational changes in the true channel of the dissected aorta.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany. t.weber@dkfz.de
authors.forename: Tim F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Maria-Katharina
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Ganten
authors.forename: Dittmar
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Böckler
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Geisbüsch
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kopp-Schneider
authors.forename: Hans-Ulrich
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Kauczor
authors.forename: Hendrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: von Tengg-Kobligk
mesh_terms: D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001027:Aortography / Q000379:methods*; D055424:Cardiac-Gated Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*