Annotated image
Which pathologies are summarised in the term "acute aortic syndrome"?
Aortic dissection, aortic intramural haematoma, and penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer.
What is the cause of pulmonary artery intramural haematoma?
Pulmonary artery intramural haematoma might arise from extravasation of blood into the common aortopulmonary adventitia in cases of aortic dissection where the tear is located in the posterior wall of the aortic root.
What can pulmonary artery intramural haematoma be mistaken for?
It can be mistaken for chronic pulmonary embolism, haemopericardium or blood in the pericardial recesses, and haemomediastinum.
Key images
large false lumen (yellow overlay) left to the dissecting intimal flap
intimal entry tear in the posterior aortic root (red arrow) and re-entry tears in the aortic arch (blue arrows)
aortic intramural hematoma visible at the posterior border of the ascending aorta (red overlay)
pulmonary artery intramural hematoma predominantly around the pulmonary trunk and the right pulmonary artery (blue overlay)