Mechanical Imaging of the Aorta

The aorta is the largest blood vessel in the human body and plays an important role in maintaining the function of downstream organs such as the brain and kidneys by buffering the pulsatile blood flow ejected from the heart and converting it into a continuous stream. Elasticity of the aortic wall is particularly important for maintaining its vascular buffering function. However, the aortic wall stiffens with age and as a result of various risk factors and diseases. Advanced imaging methods such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT), and ultrasound provide highly resolved images of normal aortic morphology as well as abnormal changes such as atherosclerosis and aneurysms but cannot depict the elasticity of the vessel wall. This chapter reviews the basic physiological and histological properties of the aorta and provides an overview of the information that can be obtained by established imaging methods in clinical routine. Against this background, the authors then present the current state of knowledge regarding mechanical imaging of the aorta using elastography techniques and conclude with an outlook on future developments and possible clinical uses.