title: Traumatic aortic disruption: false positive diagnosis on transesophageal echocardiography.
abstract: A case is described in which there was a high index of suspicion for traumatic aortic disruption. Because angiography was equivocal, transesophageal echocardiography was performed, and interpreted as showing a noncircumferential aortic tear. At thoracotomy, however, no tear was seen. The false positive interpretation was caused by a crescent-shaped atherosclerotic plaque.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oxorn
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Towers
mesh_terms: D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged