Computed tomography for aortic assessment in children

Pediatr Radiol. 2022 Dec;52(13):2470-2484. doi: 10.1007/s00247-022-05501-9. Epub 2022 Sep 24.

Abstract

Because the aorta is the major vessel of the body, basic knowledge of aortic pathology is essential to the pediatric imager. This review divides aortic pathology into anatomical (e.g., congenital abnormalities) and acquired (e.g., vasculitis, trauma) entities, providing a brief description of pathology, technical considerations in CT acquisition and processing, and some pearls and pitfalls of interpretation. The objective of this paper is to familiarize general pediatric imagers with imaging features of common as well as high-impact aortic pathology on CT and prepare them for acquisition and reporting.

Keywords: Acquired; Aorta; Children; Computed tomography; Congenital; Pathology; Technique.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aorta* / diagnostic imaging
  • Child
  • Humans
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed* / methods