Acute penetrating atherosclerotic ulcers in aortic arch: differential diagnosis of chest pain

Penetrating atherosclerotic ulcers (PAU) represent a pathological phenomenon in which ulceration of atheromatous lesions of the aorta penetrates the internal elastic lamina, reaching the middle muscular layer. These ulcers are more common in the descending thoracic aorta, being rare in the ascending aorta. The differential diagnosis between PAU and other entities of acute aortic syndromes (AAS) becomes difficult. The diagnosis of this disease is made through imaging studies: multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), magnetic resonance (MR) or transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). After diagnosis, the PAU of the ascending aorta should be treated surgically in an emergency context. In this paper the authors report a case of PAU in the aortic arch in a 84 years old patient admitted to the emergency room for chest pain. In this context a review of the natural evolution of this entity is made, with emphasis on diagnostic imaging modalities used for its characterization as well as their treatment options.