Ascending aorta
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At the time the article was created Frank Gaillard had no recorded disclosures.
View Frank Gaillard's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Jeremy Jones had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Jeremy Jones's current disclosuresThe ascending aorta is the first part of the aorta and begins at the sinotubular junction (the junction of the aortic root and ascending aorta) and terminates as it exits the fibrous pericardium where it becomes the aortic arch, in the transthoracic plane (of Ludwig). It is located obliquely just to the left of the midline at the level of the third intercostal space.
Gross anatomy
The ascending aorta normally only has two branches, the right coronary artery and the left coronary artery. Technically, these usually arise from the aortic root from the right and left aortic sinuses of Valsalva. They are, along with the non-coronary sinus, out-pouchings of the aortic wall above each cusp of the aortic valve. Immediately above the three aortic sinuses, the normal tubular configuration of the aorta is attained at the sinotubular junction.
The ascending aorta ascends slightly towards the right of midline where it can be seen as part of the mediastinal outline on a chest radiograph. This should only be the case in the older ectatic or dilated artery. In a young patient, a prominent ascending aorta, especially when combined with signs of left ventricular hypertrophy should raise suspicion of aortic stenosis.
With the pulmonary trunk, the ascending aorta is invested in a common sheath of serous visceral pericardium, anterior to the transverse pericardial sinus.
Related pathology
References
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Incoming Links
- Pulmonary artery intramural haematoma
- Cardiac MRI (an approach)
- Penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer
- Double outlet left ventricle
- Transposition of the great arteries
- Thoracic aortic aneurysm
- Aortopulmonary septal defect
- Transverse pericardial sinus
- Giant cell arteritis
- Thoracic aorta
- Mediastinum (ITMIG classification)
- Tulip bulb sign
- Cardiac valves
- Double outlet right ventricle
- Aortic dissection
- Thoracic lymph node stations
- Aortic arch
- Sinotubular junction
- Inferior aortic recess
- Retro-aortic left brachiocephalic vein
- Aortic root anatomy (CTA)
- Pulmonary calcifications - chronic tuberculosis
- Aortic dissection with pulmonary artery intramural haematoma
- Aortic dissection - Stanford type B
- Massive aortic aneurysm, dissection and pericardial effusion
- Aberrant left main coronary artery (ALMCA) arising from the right sinus with interarterial course
- Double aortic arch
- Thoracic aortic aneurysm
- Aortic dissection DeBakey type 1
- Aorta (illustration)
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
-
heart
- cardiac chambers
- heart valves
- cardiac fibrous skeleton
- innervation of the heart
- development of the heart
- cardiac wall
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pericardium
- epicardium
- epicardial fat pad
- pericardial space
- oblique pericardial sinus
- transverse pericardial sinus
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pericardial recesses
- aortic recesses
- pulmonic recesses
- postcaval recess
- pulmonary venous recesses
- pericardial ligaments
- myocardium
- endocardium
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pericardium
- oesophagus
- thymus
- breast
- arterial supply of the thorax
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thoracic aorta (development)
-
ascending aorta
-
aortic root
- aortic annulus
-
coronary arteries
- coronary arterial dominance
- myocardial segments
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left main coronary artery (LMCA)
- ramus intermedius artery (RI)
-
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
-
aortic root
- aortic arch
- aortic isthmus
- descending aorta
-
ascending aorta
- pulmonary trunk
-
thoracic aorta (development)
- venous drainage of the thorax
- superior vena cava (SVC)
- inferior vena cava (IVC)
-
coronary veins
-
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)
- anterior cardiac veins
- venae cordis minimae (smallest cardiac veins or thebesian veins)
-
cardiac veins which drain into the coronary sinus
- pulmonary veins
- bronchial veins
- thoracoepigastric vein
- lymphatics of the thorax
- innervation of the thorax
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