Figure 105g

Artist's depiction of the three major anatomic patterns of aortic dissection. The left panel illustrates the most common variety, in which an intimal tear is located just above the aortic valve, and the medial cleavage plane extends in the long axis for a varying distance, often to the bifurcation. The center panel depicts the second most common variety. An intimal tear is found just beyond the left subclavian artery, and the medial dissection extends distally. The right panel depicts an important, but uncommon, variation. From an intimal tear just distal to the left subclavian artery,the medial dssection extends both antegrade down the thoracic aorta and rterograge into the descending desegment.