A middle aged patient presents with flank discomfort and is found to be in renal failure.
POCUS shows an abdominal aortic dissection. There is a hyperechoic flap pulsating within the aortic lumen with every heartbeat.
POCUS Pearl: identification of the abdominal aorta requires visualization of the spinal shadow. The aorta and inferior vena cava (IVC) sit just anterior to the spine. If you do not see the spine in your image, be weary that you are mistakenly identifying a superficial vessel as the abdominal aorta.