Journal of Cardiovascular Imaging

Korean Society of Echocardiography (한국심초음파학회)
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Aortic Arch Variants and Anomalies: Embryology, Imaging Findings, and Clinical Considerations

  • Sang Bin Bae (Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Dong-A University) ;
  • Eun-Ju Kang (Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Dong-A University) ;
  • Ki Seok Choo (Department of Radiology, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital) ;
  • Jongmin Lee (Department of Radiology, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine) ;
  • Sang Hyeon Kim (Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Dong-A University) ;
  • Kyoung Jae Lim (Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Dong-A University) ;
  • Heejin Kwon (Department of Radiology, College of Medicine, Dong-A University)
  • Received : 2022.05.06
  • Accepted : 2022.07.17
  • Published : 2022.10.27
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Abstract

There is a wide spectrum of congenital anomalies or variations of the aortic arch, ranging from non-symptomatic variations that are mostly detected incidentally to clinically symptomatic variations that cause severe respiratory distress or esophageal compression. Some of these may be accompanied by other congenital heart diseases or chromosomal anomalies. The widespread use of multidetector computed tomography (CT) in clinical practice has resulted in incidental detection of several variations of the aortic arch in adults. Thus, radiologists and clinicians should be aware of the classification of aortic arch anomalies and carefully look for imaging features associated with a high risk of clinical symptoms. Understanding the embryological development of the aortic arch aids in the classification of various subtypes of aortic arch anomalies and variants. For accurate diagnosis and precise evaluation of aortic arch anomalies, cross-sectional imaging modalities, such as multidetector CT or magnetic resonance imaging, play an important role by providing three-dimensional reconstructed images. In this review, we describe the embryological development of the thoracic aorta and discuss variations and anomalies of the aortic arch along with their clinical implications.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This study was supported by research funds from Dong-A University.

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