Aortic isthmus
Last revised by Dr Rohit Sharma ◉ on 14 Jun 2020
Citation, DOI & article data
Citation:
Jones, J., Sharma, R. Aortic isthmus. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org. (accessed on 04 Oct 2022) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-22291
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rID:
22291
Article created:
25 Mar 2013 by Dr Jeremy Jones ◉
Revisions:
24 times by 15 users - see full revision history
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Synonyms:
- Isthmus of the aorta
- Aortic isthmi
The aortic isthmus is the part of the aorta just distal to the origin of the left subclavian artery at the site of the ductus arteriosus.
This portion of the aorta is partly constricted in the fetus because of the lack of flow within the aortic sac and ascending aorta. It marks the partial separation of fetal blood flow derived from the right and left ventricles.
History and etymology
Derived from the Ancient Greek ισθμος (isthmos) meaning a neck of land 3.
Related pathology
- most common anatomical area of traumatic thoracic aortic injuries in patients surviving long enough to be imaged 1
- the site of the ductus diverticulum which is an anatomical variant of the aorta that should be differentiated from an aortic pseudoaneurysm in the setting of trauma 2
- the aortic isthmus index (isthmus flow index) is used in obstetric Doppler as a marker of raised placental resistance and fetal growth restriction 4
References
- 1. Creasy JD, Chiles C, Routh WD et-al. Overview of traumatic injury of the thoracic aorta. Radiographics. 1997;17 (1): 27-45. doi:10.1148/radiographics.17.1.9017797 - Pubmed citation
- 2. Ferrera PC, Ghaemmaghami PA. Ductus diverticulum interpreted as traumatic aortic injury. Am J Emerg Med. 1997;15 (4): 371-2. - Pubmed citation
- 3. James Morwood, John Taylor. Pocket Oxford Classical Greek Dictionary. (2002) ISBN: 9780198605126
- 4. Tynan D, Alphonse J, Henry A, Welsh A, W: The Aortic Isthmus: A Significant yet Underexplored Watershed of the Fetal Circulation. Fetal Diagn Ther 2016;40:81-93. doi: 10.1159/000446942 https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/446942#
Related articles: Anatomy: Thoracic
- thoracic skeleton
- thoracic cage
- thoracic spine
- articulations
- muscles of the thorax
- diaphragm
- intercostal space
- intercostal muscles
- variant anatomy
- spaces of the thorax
- thoracic viscera
- lower respiratory tract
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heart
- cardiac chambers
- heart valves
- cardiac fibrous skeleton
- innervation of the heart
- development of the heart
- cardiac wall
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pericardium
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- epicardial fat pad
- pericardial space
- oblique pericardial sinus
- transverse pericardial sinus
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pericardial recesses
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- pericardial ligaments
- myocardium
- endocardium
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pericardium
- esophagus
- thymus
- breast
- arterial supply of the thorax
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thoracic aorta (development)
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ascending aorta
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aortic root
- aortic annulus
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coronary arteries
- coronary arterial dominance
- myocardial segments
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left main coronary artery (LMCA)
- ramus intermedius artery (RI)
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circumflex artery (LCx)
- obtuse marginal branches (OM1, OM2, etc))
- Kugel's artery
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left anterior descending artery (LAD)
- diagonal branches (D1, D2, etc)
- septal perforators (S1, S2, etc)
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right coronary artery (RCA)
- conus artery
- sinoatrial nodal artery
- acute marginal branches (AM1, AM2, etc)
- inferior interventricular artery (PDA)
- posterior left ventricular artery (PLV)
- congenital anomalies
- sinotubular junction
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aortic root
- aortic arch
- aortic isthmus
- descending aorta
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ascending aorta
- pulmonary trunk
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thoracic aorta (development)
- venous drainage of the thorax
- superior vena cava (SVC)
- inferior vena cava (IVC)
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coronary veins
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cardiac veins which drain into the coronary sinus
- great cardiac vein
- middle cardiac vein
- small cardiac vein
- posterior vein of the left ventricle
- vein of Marshall (oblique vein of the left atrium)
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cardiac veins which drain into the coronary sinus
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