Although aneurysms of the thoracic aorta are easily recognized on computed tomography (CT), nonaortic intrathoracic aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms are unusual and not often encountered by radiologists. These lesions can result in complications such as hemorrhage or symptoms from mass effect. In some cases, patients may be asymptomatic and the aneurysms may represent incidental findings. Radiologists should be familiar with the CT appearances of these rare vascular abnormalities to enable prompt diagnosis. The goals of this pictorial essay are to: (1) illustrate and describe the CT appearances of various unusual intrathoracic nonaortic aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms; (2) discuss the etiology and clinical significance of these lesions; and (3) discuss management options where appropriate.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.