CT of acute abdominal aortic disorders.

Aortic aneurysm rupture, aortic dissection, PAU, acute aortic occlusion, traumatic aortic injury, and aortic fistula represent acute abdominal aortic conditions. Because of its speed and proximity to the emergency department, helical CT is the imaging test of choice for these conditions. MR imaging also plays an important role in the imaging of aortic dissection and PAU, particularly when the patient is unable to receive intravenous contrast material. In this era of MDCT, conventional angiography is used as a secondary diagnostic tool to clarify equivocal findings on cross-sectional imaging. Ultrasound is helpful when CT is not readily available and the patient is unable or too unstable to undergo MR imaging.