Review ArticleVolume 76, Issue 2, July 2020
JOURNAL:JACC Article Link
Discrepancies in Measurement of the Thoracic Aorta: JACC Review Topic of the Week
JA Elefteriades, SK Mukherjee, H Mojibian et al.
Keywords:
aortic root; ascending aorta ;CT; echo cardiography; imaging discrepancies; thoracic aortic aneurysm
ABSTRACT
Clinicians often encounter discrepant measurements of the ascending
aorta that impede, complicate, and impair appropriate clinical
assessment—including key issues of presence or absence of aortic growth,
rate of growth, and need for surgical intervention. These discrepancies
may arise within a single modality (computed tomography scan, magnetic
resonance imaging, or echocardiography) or between modalities. The
authors explore the origins and significance of these discrepancies,
revealing that some “truth” usually underlies all the discrepant
measurements, which individually look at the ascending aorta with
different perspectives and dimensional definitions. The authors conclude
with a practical “question and answer” section that addresses common
specific issues in interpretation and management of patients in the
real-world setting.