Would a dilated aorta root show up on an x-ray?

May be seen : on chest X-ray. Needs further evaluation with CTA and/or Cardiac Echo. MRI/MRA sometimes performed. Image from aorta repair.com.

Possibly: You can sometimes tell if the aorta is really big on x-ray. Better tests for the aortic root are an echocardiogram, CT scan, or MRI.

Sometimes: A dilated aortic root can sometime show up on a plain X-tray of the chest, but it also can frequency be missed or not seen. If the aorta in this area is calcified it is more likely to be apparent on plain x-ray. Better studies to assess aorta include MRI, CT, catheter angiogram, or echocardiogram. Seek opinion from cardiovascular surgeon if you have additional questions.