Figure 4.
(A) Parasagittal breath hold T1 magnetic resonance (MR) image showing pronounced dilatation of the aortic root with slight dilatation of the descending aorta in a young adult with Marfan syndrome. Line 1 represents the diameter at the sinuses of Valsalva. (B) Parasagittal cine MR angiogram showing dilated aortic root but with normal upper ascending arch and descending aorta in a young adult. (C) Axial computed tomographic (CT) scan at T7 of a Marfan patient showing dilated ascending and descending aorta with dissection flap anteriorly in the descending aorta and previous surgery to the ascending aorta. (D) Parasagittal reformatted CT of chest and abdomen in the same patient with contrast showing dilatation of the whole of the aorta with a spiral dissection from the arch through to the lower abdominal aorta. MR and CT images courtesy of Professor J Weir, Department of Radiology, Grampian University Hospitals NHS Trust.