What it means
The aorta is the body's main artery. It leaves the heart, arches in the chest and runs down through the belly. Its wall has layers. In a dissection, a tear in the inner layer lets blood push between the layers and form a second channel, called the false lumen. On a CT angiogram, the torn inner layer shows as a thin line inside the vessel, called an intimal flap.
When it matters
A new aortic dissection is an emergency, often with sudden, severe chest or back pain. Type A involves the first part of the aorta near the heart and usually needs urgent surgery. Type B spares that part and is often treated with medicines that lower blood pressure, sometimes with a stent. After treatment, regular CT or MRI scans check that the aorta is not widening.
Questions to ask your doctor
- Is it type A or type B, and which parts of the aorta are involved?
- Is my aorta any wider than on my last scan?
- How often will I need scans, and which symptoms mean I should go to the hospital?
