About this Research Topic
The aorta is the largest artery in the body, residing in both the chest and abdomen, and is affected by a broad array of pathologies that reflects its size, central position in the vascular tree, and a uniquely wide range of hemodynamic forces along its length. A similarly broad array of imaging tools is used to detect, characterize, and monitor aortic diseases, with contributions from ultrasound and echocardiography, CT MRI, catheter angiography and nuclear medicine. Finally, aortic diseases are managed by clinicians via medications, through open repair by cardiothoracic and vascular surgeons, or endovascular means by interventional radiologists and others.
The inherent anatomic, pathologic, and therapeutic diversity in aortic disease is profound, and yet the overwhelming focus of the clinical radiologic evaluation of the aorta has remained a relatively simple morphologic assessment. This is particularly true in aneurysmal disease, where our sophisticated imaging platforms are used as rulers to measure maximal vessel diameter. Despite several advances in the last decade, we remain only modestly equipped to evaluate the biochemical, inflammatory, and biomechanical factors that drive disease progression on a patient-specific basis, and thus remain with a limited capacity to further optimize our approaches to disease surveillance, specific therapies, and prediction and avoidance of catastrophic outcomes.
This Research Topic will present comprehensive reviews of the recent advances in imaging of the aorta and its various pathologies, with particular focus on emerging approaches to assessing the physiologic underpinnings of the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis, aneurysms, and dissection, as well as approaches to pre- and post-intervention imaging surveillance. These papers will be aimed at discussing current challenges and opportunities in not only basic science, but in the translation of cutting-edge imaging technologies to routine clinical application.
The inherent anatomic, pathologic, and therapeutic diversity in aortic disease is profound, and yet the overwhelming focus of the clinical radiologic evaluation of the aorta has remained a relatively simple morphologic assessment. This is particularly true in aneurysmal disease, where our sophisticated imaging platforms are used as rulers to measure maximal vessel diameter. Despite several advances in the last decade, we remain only modestly equipped to evaluate the biochemical, inflammatory, and biomechanical factors that drive disease progression on a patient-specific basis, and thus remain with a limited capacity to further optimize our approaches to disease surveillance, specific therapies, and prediction and avoidance of catastrophic outcomes.
This Research Topic will present comprehensive reviews of the recent advances in imaging of the aorta and its various pathologies, with particular focus on emerging approaches to assessing the physiologic underpinnings of the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis, aneurysms, and dissection, as well as approaches to pre- and post-intervention imaging surveillance. These papers will be aimed at discussing current challenges and opportunities in not only basic science, but in the translation of cutting-edge imaging technologies to routine clinical application.
Keywords: Aorta, cardiovascular imaging, vascular disease, radiology, hemodynamics
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