The term acute aortic syndrome comprises aortic dissection, intramural hematoma, and penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer. The most recent developments in acute aortic syndromes include (1) a change in the mindset that each entity is pathologically distinct, with a shift toward considering the acute aortic syndromes as points along a spectrum of aortic disease, (2) the optimization of aortic imaging quality and radiation dose, and (3) surgical or endovascular management. This review article focuses on how these developments pertain to thoracic radiologists.