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, ...

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%).