The natural history of penetrating atherosclerotic ulcers (PAUs) of the descending thoracic aorta remains unclear. Between January 1996 and June 2000, PAU was diagnosed in 36 patients (16 men ...

a descending aortic dissection can be treated medically in most cases. There are two classification systems used to describe thoracic aortic dissections: The DeBakey classification: Type I ...

Thoracic aortic dissection occurs when the intima of the aorta becomes compromised and “tears” or “dissects” a new layer that fills with blood between the intima and the media. This ...

The aorta is a tube-like structure that resembles a candy cane. The thoracoabdominal aorta starts after the curve of the cane and extends past the arteries that deliver blood to the stomach, ...

In a multicenter, retrospective review of patients admitted with intact and ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs), ...

an aneurysm of the ascending aorta, with slight dilatation of the arch and descending thoracic aorta, and increased pulsations of the left ventricle and ascending aorta. An electrocardiogram ...

We identified 36 patients with a diagnosis of PAU involving the descending thoracic aorta. The diagnosis was made with CT in 27 patients (75%), MRI in 7 (19%), and aortography in 2 (6%).