Diagnostic value of MR, CT, and angiography in diseases of the thoracic aorta

Diseases of the thoracic aorta are mostly diagnosed on angiography and CT. Both methods can demonstrate pathologic changes only when contrast agents are used. Forty-five patients with diseases of the thoracic aorta and a final diagnosis of arteriosclerotic aneurysms (n = 7), or diseases of the aortic wall (n = 5) were examined with a 0.5 or 1.0-T Magnetom instrument, electrocardiographic gating and a spin-echo technique. Thirty-seven patients underwent CT with contrast agent administration, and 20 underwent angiography or digital subtraction angiography. MR imaging appeared to be the method of choice for the noninvasive evaluation of the thoracic aorta. It can be also used as the only imaging method in the diagnosis of aortic diseases in symptomatic patients