Diagnostic Radiology/Chest Imaging/Thoracic Great Vessels

1. State the normal dimensions of the thoracic aorta
2. Describe the classifications of aortic dissection (DeBakey I,II, III; Stanford A, B), and implications for classification on medical versus surgical management
3. State and recognize the findings of, and distinguish between each of the following on CT and MR:
   1. aortic aneurysm
   2. aortic dissection
   3. aortic intramural hematoma
   4. penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer
   5. ulcerated plaque
   6. sinus of valsalva aneurysm
   7. subclavian or brachiocephalic artery aneurysm
   8. aortic coarctation
   9. aortic pseudocoarctation
4. Recognize a right aortic arch and a double aortic arch on a radiograph, chest CT and chest MR
5. State the significance of a right aortic arch with mirror image branching versus with an aberrant subclavian artery
6. Recognize a cervical aortic arch on a radiograph and chest CT
7. Recognize an aberrant subclavian artery on chest CT
8. Recognize normal variants of aortic arch branching, including common origin of brachiocephalic and left common carotid arteries ("bovine arch"), separate origin of vertebral artery from arch
9. Define the terms aneurysm and pseudoaneurysm
10. State the common cardiac anomalies associated with aortic coarctation
11. State and identify the findings seen in Takayasu's arteritis on chest CT and chest MR
12. State the advantages and disadvantages of CT, MRI/MRA and transesophageal echocardiography in the evaluation of the thoracic aorta