Usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography in the assessment of aortic graft dehiscence.
The diagnosis and site of graft dehiscence determined by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), and aortography in 6 patients, and by computed tomography (CT) scan in 3 patients were compared with surgery. Sensitivity of TEE was 100%, aortography 83%, CT scan 67%, and TTE 33%; TEE accurately identified severe aortic regurgitation (3), graft narrowing (2), distal aortic dissection (1), and a fistulous communication between the aortic root and the right ventricle (1) when compared with surgery or aortography.
Ballal
R S
RS
Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 35233, USA.
Gatewood
R P
RP
Nanda
N C
NC
Sanyal
R S
RS
Kirklin
J K
JK
Pacifico
A D
AD
D000328:Adult; D017541:Aneurysm, False / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001027:Aortography; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012086:Reoperation; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed