Acute thoracic aortic pathology in practice of the cardiovascular surgeon.

Acute thoracic aortic pathology is a relatively new term. The experience gained in treatment of thoracic aorta pathology has shown the importance of early diagnosis of the disease of this localization. Improved resolution of modern diagnostic medical equipment has made it possible to recognize early forms of aortic lesions and accordingly to optimize management of this cohort of patients. The present article is based on the review of the pertinent literature, summarizing the data on aetiology, pathophysiology, clinical patterns, and present-day therapeutic strategy employed in the three most frequently encountered forms of an acute aortic lesion, i. e., aortic dissection, aortic intramural haematoma, and penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer of the aortic wall.