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Aortic Stenosis: Spectrum of Diseases Depicted at Multisection CT

Aortic Stenosis: Spectrum of Diseases Depicted at Multisection CT

Cardiac

http://radiographics.rsna.org/content/23/suppl_1/S79.full

Carmen Sebastià, MD ; Sergi Quiroga, MD ; Rosa Boyé, MD ; Mercedes Perez-Lafuente, MD ; Eva Castellà, MD ; Agustí Alvarez-Castells, MD

1 From the Institut de Diagnòstic per la Imatge (C.S., M.P.L., E.C.) and the Department of Radiology (S.Q., R.B., A.A.C.), Vall d’Hebron Teaching Hospital, Passeig Vall d’Hebron 119–129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain. Presented as an education exhibit at the 2002 RSNA scientific assembly. Received February 7, 2003; revision requested March 18; final revision received May 20; accepted May 22.

Aortic stenosis, or narrowing of the aortic lumen, has many causes. It may originate in coarctation or pseudocoarctation of the aorta, midaortic dysplastic syndrome, atherosclerosis, Takayasu arteritis, aortic dissection, or various intraaortic and periaortic diseases or as a result of aortic surgical repair. The impedance of blood flow through the stenotic segment may lead to the development of various collateral arterial pathways, according to the location of stenosis. Aortography is the standard technique for evaluating aortic stenosis; however, helical computed tomography (CT), particularly multisection CT, may provide additional information or in some cases may be used instead of arteriography. Multisection CT can depict the aorta and thoracoabdominal collateral pathways in less than 1 minute and provide high-quality arterial-phase imaging data suitable for multiple two-dimensional and three-dimensional reformations. To produce a useful differential diagnosis, the imaging specialist must be able to recognize the type of stenosis and the configuration of collateral circulatory pathways.