A rare congenital abnormality mimicking the appearance of a type A aortic dissection

Type A aortic dissection is a tear in the wall of the ascending aorta and/or arch between the tunica intima and tunica media layers. This is a surgical emergency and requires immediate surgical repair. Aortic CT angiography is essential for classification, assessing extent of the disease and planning the management. An intimal flap on CT is characteristic of the pathology. We present a case where a fibrous cord, presumed to be a congenital remnant, mimicked the appearance of an intimal flap but was not an aortic dissection.