title: Usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography in the assessment of aortic graft dehiscence.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 35233, USA.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Ballal
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Gatewood
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Nanda
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Sanyal
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kirklin
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Pacifico
mesh_terms: 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