Comparison of CT and MRI in imaging diagnosis of aortic dissection

Aortic dissection(AD) is a life-threatening disease due to a tear in the intimal layer of the aorta within the aortic wall. To compare diagnostic value and imaging of AD between computed tomography(CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). 120 AD patients diagnosed were examined with 64-slice CT and 1.5 MRI, the imaging data of true and false lumen, intimal flap, intimal tear, mural thrombus and aortic calcification were compared. The intimal flap rate of CT and MRI was 81.7% and 100%, respectively; The intimal tear rate of CT and MRI was 68.3% and 83.3%, respectively; The rate of mural thrombus in CT and MRI was 26.7% and 54.2%, respectively; The rate of aortic calcification in CT and MRI was 62.5% and 18.3%, respectively; The number of patients with intimal tear lower than 1mm in CT and MRI was 5 and 0, respectively. Both CT and MRI can show the true and false lumen well, but the detection rate of intimal flap, intimal tear and mural thrombosis in MRI is significantly higher than that in CT, and the detection rate of aortic calcification and intimal tear<1mm in CT is higher than that in MRI.