Unfolded aorta

Last revised by Liz Silverstone on 23 Jan 2025

The term unfolded aorta refers to an increased radius of curvature and rotation of the relatively mobile aortic arch 3. It is a common cause of mediastinal widening on chest radiograpy in older individuals.

With increasing age the aorta lengthens, stiffens and gradually dilates 3. Pulse pressure and pulse wave velocity increase and left ventricular mass may increase. These changes are strongly related to blood pressure and replacement of elastic tissue in the aortic wall by fibrosis 3.

Cases and figures

  • Case 1
  • Case 2: Unfolding of arch of aorta

Imaging differential diagnosis

  • Thoracic aortic aneurysm
:

Updating… Please wait.

 Unable to process the form. Check for errors and try again.

 Thank you for updating your details.