Aortitis is a general term that refers to a broad category of infectious or 
noninfectious conditions in which there is abnormal inflammation of the aortic 
wall. These inflammatory conditions have different clinical and morphologic 
features and variable prognoses. The clinical manifestations are usually vague 
and nonspecific and may include pain, fever, vascular insufficiency, and 
elevated levels of acute phase reactants, as well as other systemic 
manifestations. As a result, aortitis is often overlooked during the initial 
work-up of patients with constitutional symptoms and systemic disorders. A 
multimodality imaging approach is often required for assessment of both the 
aortic wall and aortic lumen, as well as for surveillance of disease activity 
and treatment planning. Noninvasive cross-sectional imaging modalities such as 
magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, MR angiography, and computed tomographic 
angiography play a critical role in initial evaluation and further assessment of 
aortitis. Radiologists should be familiar with the clinical features and imaging 
findings of the different types of aortitis.