title: Aorta: comprehensive evaluation by echocardiography and transesophageal echocardiography.
abstract: The emergence of transesophageal echocardiography has made echocardiography a nearly ideal technique for evaluating the thoracic aorta. The echocardiographic anatomy of the aorta is reviewed. The role of echocardiography for evaluating aortic dissection, thoracic aortic aneurysm, aortic atherosclerosis, and thoracic aortic trauma is discussed. Comparison of echocardiography with other techniques for imaging the aorta (computed tomographic scan, nuclear magnetic resonance, and aortography) is presented.
authors.affiliation: Noninvasive Cardiology Laboratory, Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC 20010.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: G S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Mintz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lindsay
mesh_terms: D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000293:injuries; D017545:Aortic Aneurysm, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001019:Aortic Rupture / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001027:Aortography; D000075202:Contraindications; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004452:Echocardiography; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed