Fig

This aorta has been opened longitudinally to reveal an area of fairly limited dissection that is organizing. The red-brown hematoma can be seen in on both sides of the section as it extends around the aorta. The dissection creates a "double lumen" to the aorta. This aorta shows in addition severe atherosclerosis.
Aortic dissection


This aortic dissection occurred just above the aortic root in a patient with Marfan's syndrome. The tear extends across the aorta. Hemopericardium with tamponade occurred within minutes of this event.
Aortic dissection


an opened aorta with proximal dissection originating from a small, oblique intimal tear (identified by the probe), allowing blood to enter the media and create an intramural hematoma (narrow arrows). Note that the intimal tear has occurred in a region largely free of atherosclerotic plaque and that propagation of the intramural hematoma is arrested at a site more distally where atherosclerosis begins (broad arrow).
Aortic dissection