Aortic dissection: How to identify it during an abdominal ultrasound examination and achieve a potentially lifesaving diagnosis

• Published in: Journal of clinical ultrasound Vol. 52; no. 7; pp. 967 - 972
• Main Authors: Corvino, Antonio, Lonardo, Valeria, Tafuri, Domenico, Cocco, Giulio, Pizzi, Andrea Delli, Boccatonda, Andrea, Corvino, Fabio, Costantino, Thomas G., Horer, Tal, Catalano, Orlando
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken, USA John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.09.2024; Wiley Subscription Services, Inc
• Subjects: Aorta; aortic dissection (AD); CT angiography; Dissection; emergency medicine; Ultrasound; vascular imaging; CT angiography; vascular imaging; aortic dissection (AD); emergency medicine; ultrasound
• ISSN: 0091-2751; 1097-0096; 1097-0096
• DOI: 10.1002/jcu.23741

Aortic dissection (AD) is a rare and potentially fatal condition that may be diagnosed late. During an emergency or elective abdominal ultrasound (US) examination, when going to evaluate the abdominal aorta for other reasons, it may happen that we find ourselves suspecting an AD. It is therefore important to know the US characteristics of this pathology to avoid wrong or missed diagnoses. Here, we present our practical experience regarding the application of US in the study of the abdominal aorta, which allowed us on several occasions to find an unexpected dissection in patients brought to our attention for other reasons. Aortic dissection (AD) is an infrequent and potentially life‐threatening condition that may not be promptly diagnosed. When carrying out an emergency or elective abdominal ultrasound (US) examination, there is a possibility of encountering an AD. In this report, we share our practical experience in using ultrasound to examine the abdominal aorta. This approach allowed us to detect unexpected dissections in patients who were initially referred to us for different concerns.