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Index / Chest & Vascular

Aortic dissection: Stanford & DeBakey

Daily 1970 · DeBakey 1965CTAAorta

Stanford is anatomic and management-driven: any ascending aortic involvement is type A (surgical), regardless of entry site.

SystemTypeExtent
StanfordAInvolves the ascending aorta (with or without arch/descending)
BDoes not involve the ascending aorta
DeBakeyIOriginates in ascending aorta, extends at least to the arch, often beyond
IIConfined to the ascending aorta
IIIaOriginates in descending aorta, limited to the thorax
IIIbOriginates in descending aorta, extends below the diaphragm

Report

  • Entry tear location; true vs false lumen (false lumen: larger, slower enhancing, beak sign, cobwebs).
  • Branch vessel origins from true/false lumen; static vs dynamic obstruction; end-organ malperfusion.
  • Pericardial effusion, aortic valve, coronary involvement, hemomediastinum, periaortic hematoma.
  • Same framework applies to intramural hematoma and penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer.

Sources

  1. Daily PO, Trueblood HW, Stinson EB, Wuerflein RD, Shumway NE. Management of acute aortic dissections. Ann Thorac Surg. 1970;10:237–247.PubMed ↗
  2. DeBakey ME, Henly WS, Cooley DA, et al. Surgical management of dissecting aneurysms of the aorta. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1965;49:130–149.PubMed ↗
NextEndoleak classification

Radessential summarizes published classification systems for practicing radiologists. Summaries are condensed; confirm details against the cited source before relying on them for patient care.