Aortic root enlargement

The normal aortic root (RT) and ascending aorta (AAo) are seen in panel A; slight prominence of the sinuses of Valsalva (SinV) can be appreciated. Panel B is the aortic RT and AAo from a patient with the Marfan syndrome; the SinV are large while the AAo is relatively normal, a pattern that seems unique to the Marfan syndrome. In panel C, a greatly enlarged aortic (Ao) RT is also seen, but the pattern differs from that seen in the Marfan patient; the dilatation begins at the aortic ring and continues beyond the sinotubular junction well into the AAo, considered to represent aortoannular ectasia.