Aortic Dissection Diagnosis
THINK AORTA! Early diagnosis saves lives. Aortic dissection must be detected and treated quickly. It can be difficult to diagnose because symptoms are similar to other conditions. A CT scan of the whole aorta with contrast is the quickest and most reliable way to confirm or rule out aortic dissection.
Other tests which can help to diagnose an aortic dissection are an Echocardiogram (especially a trans-esophageal echocardiogram); an MRI scan of the whole aorta; or rarely aortic dissection can be discovered during an angiogram.
You can help with a diagnosis by reporting all symptoms and giving as much information as possible to the people treating you. You should still report symptoms even if they seem to have eased or disappeared. Let the team know if you have a known risk of aortic dissection and/or wear a medical alert bracelet.
For more information on diagnosing aortic dissection, see our THINK AORTA campaign.
