Aortic dissection: magnetic resonance imaging

Fifteen patients with suspected or known aortic dissection were imaged with magnetic resonance (MR). Thirteen of these patients were eventually shown to have dissection. In most instances the diagnosis was established by aortography and/or computed tomography (CT) prior to the MR study. Surgical proof (6/13) and/or aortographic proof (10/13) were available in 11/13 patients with aortic dissection. MR demonstrated the intimal flap and determined whether the dissection was type A or type B. In addition, MR: differentiated between the true and false lumens; determined the origins of the celiac, superior mesenteric, and renal arteries from the true or false lumen in the cases where the dissection extended into the abdominal aorta (8/12); allowed post-surgical surveillance of the dissection; and identified aortoannular ectasia in the three patients who had Marfan syndrome. In addition to the 13 cases with dissection, there were two cases in whom the diagnosis of dissection was excluded by MR. Our early experience suggests that MR can serve as the initial imaging test in clinically suspected cases of aortic dissection and that the information provided by MR is sufficient to manage many cases. Additionally, MR obviates the use of iodinated contrast media.