A consensus statement on aortic imaging modalities

The consensus paper by Evangelista et al. describes the different available techniques for aortic imaging in a practical and condense manner. The focus is on the strengths and limitations of the different methods used in daily clinical practice when imaging normal and/or pathological parts of the aorta. The paper is endorsed by the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) and the European Society of Cardiology Working Group on aorta and peripheral vascular diseases.

The most important conclusions are that (1) measurement by echocardiography using the leading-to-leading convention and by CT/CMR using the inner-to-inner convention at end-diastole should always be adopted; (2) In acute aortic syndromes, the combination of CT with TTE is the preferred and most efficient imaging strategy, while CT and CMR are the recommended ones for follow-up; (3) Each imaging technique has strengths and limitations that should be considered before indication of a test. The preferred option should answer the right clinical questions and provide essential or complementary information in order to apply the best care to patients with a potentially life threatening condition in the field of acute and chronic thoracic aortic diseases.