There is no relevant literature available to examine the use of CT chest and abdomen without and with IV contrast in the management of congenital aortic disease. CTA Chest and Abdomen with IV Contrast As a modality, CTA provides excellent spatial resolution, fast acquisition times, and the ability for 3-D reconstruction [6,16]. Another advantage of CTA is the ability to visualize cardiac structures and coronary arteries, as several congenital aortic processes are associated with cardiac abnormalities [19]. One study found that a prospectively triggered, dual-energy, high-pitch protocol CTA was more accurate than echocardiography in the diagnosis of coarctation [20]. Another series found CTA to be 100% accurate compared with operative findings in evaluating the diameter and length of aortic coarctation [18], whereas others have demonstrated CTA to compare favorably to both operative and catheter-based angiographic findings [11-14]. These findings make CTA a valuable, noninvasive imaging study for aortic characterization that can help to guide future interventions [19]. However, CTA does not provide direct hemodynamic information [10]. FDG-PET/CT Skull Base to Mid-Thigh There is no relevant literature for the use of PET using the tracer fluorine-18-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)- PET/CT imaging in the evaluation of congenital aortic disease. MRA Chest and Abdomen The relevant literature focuses on cardiac MRI, rather than MRA of the chest and abdomen, for evaluating congenital aortic disease. Cardiac MRI is becoming standard practice in evaluating patients with suspected congenital aortic pathology [21]. Even though it has lower spatial resolution than CT, MRA provides important physiologic information, including pressure gradients, extent of collateral flow, contractility of the myocardium, and evaluation of the valves [22].
Nontraumatic Aortic Disease. There is no relevant literature available to examine the use of CT chest and abdomen without and with IV contrast in the management of congenital aortic disease. CTA Chest and Abdomen with IV Contrast As a modality, CTA provides excellent spatial resolution, fast acquisition times, and the ability for 3-D reconstruction [6,16]. Another advantage of CTA is the ability to visualize cardiac structures and coronary arteries, as several congenital aortic processes are associated with cardiac abnormalities [19]. One study found that a prospectively triggered, dual-energy, high-pitch protocol CTA was more accurate than echocardiography in the diagnosis of coarctation [20]. Another series found CTA to be 100% accurate compared with operative findings in evaluating the diameter and length of aortic coarctation [18], whereas others have demonstrated CTA to compare favorably to both operative and catheter-based angiographic findings [11-14]. These findings make CTA a valuable, noninvasive imaging study for aortic characterization that can help to guide future interventions [19]. However, CTA does not provide direct hemodynamic information [10]. FDG-PET/CT Skull Base to Mid-Thigh There is no relevant literature for the use of PET using the tracer fluorine-18-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG)- PET/CT imaging in the evaluation of congenital aortic disease. MRA Chest and Abdomen The relevant literature focuses on cardiac MRI, rather than MRA of the chest and abdomen, for evaluating congenital aortic disease. Cardiac MRI is becoming standard practice in evaluating patients with suspected congenital aortic pathology [21]. Even though it has lower spatial resolution than CT, MRA provides important physiologic information, including pressure gradients, extent of collateral flow, contractility of the myocardium, and evaluation of the valves [22].