Draped Aorta Sign

The draped aorta sign refers to the CT finding of the posterior margin of the aorta abutting and following the contour of the vertebral body. This is associated with a deficient posterior aortic wall and a contained leak. The draped aorta sign on CT scans represents an early stage in contained leaks when hemorrhage is contained anteriorly by the anterior renal fascia and the root of the dorsal mesenteny, but has started to pass posteriorly toward the psoas muscle.

References

Halliday KE, al-Kutoubi A. Draped aorta: CT sign of contained leak of aortic aneurysms. Radiology. 1996 Apr;199(1):41-3.