heart and blood vessel disorders
Aortic Dissection
Diagnosis of Aortic Dissection
Imaging tests such as CT angiography, magnetic resonance angiography, or transesophageal echocardiography The distinctive symptoms of an aortic dissection often make the diagnosis obvious to doctors, although the disorder causes a variety of symptoms that sometimes resemble those of other disorders. In some people with aortic dissection, pulses in the arms and legs are diminished or absent. Depending on the location of the dissection along the aorta, there may be a difference in blood pressure between the right and left arm. A dissection that is moving toward the heart may cause a murmur that can be heard through a stethoscope. Chest x-rays are the first step in detecting aortic dissection. X-rays show a widened aorta in 90% of people with symptoms. However, this finding may be due to other disorders. CT angiography , done after injecting a contrast agent, can quickly and reliably detect aortic dissection and thus is useful in an emergency. Transesophageal 