The present invention relates generally to field of medicine, and more particularly to detection and characterization of aortic pathologies, such as aortic aneurysms and aortic dissection.
The aorta is the largest artery within the human body. It originates from the left ventricle and distributes oxygenated blood to all other parts of the body. The aorta can be divided into two main regions: the thoracic aorta and the abdominal aorta. The thoracic aorta may be further subdivided into three main sections: the ascending aorta, the aortic arch, and the descending aorta. The various regions and sections of the aorta may present with, among other things, one or more pathologies, such as aortic dissection or an aortic aneurysm. An aortic dissection may occur when a tear inside the intimal wall of an artery allows blood to flow between the two layers of the vessel wall. In addition to the aorta, the iliac, renal and carotid arteries can also be affected. An aortic aneurysm may occur when the aorta dilates, which may cause a thinning of the wall of the aorta. Both aortic dissections and aortic aneurysms may cause, among other things, ischemia or aortic rupture, which may pose a life-threatening medical emergency.