EchoBridgeMD Pearl #10: The Intimal Flap—A Direct Sign of Acute Type A Aortic Dissection

Within the aortic lumen, a dissection flap appears as a long, hyperechoic, undulating structure extending from one wall of the aorta to the other, separating the true and false lumens.

Unlike indirect findings such as a dilated aortic root, aortic regurgitation, or pericardial effusion, a dissection flap is a direct sonographic sign of acute type A aortic dissection.

Recognizing this finding should prompt immediate diagnostic confirmation and definitive management in the appropriate clinical setting.

Reference:

📖 Alerhand S, Qiu L, Adrian RJ. What Echocardiographic Findings Suggest Acute Type A Aortic Dissection? J Emerg Med. 2025.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41313851/

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