[Echocardiography in elderly patients].
IN THE CONTEXT OF AGEING: The Doppler echocardiography is a non-invasive technique that permits assessment of the "physiological" ageing of the cardiac and vascular structures, notably including a concentric remodelling of the left ventricle associated with relaxation abnormalities, dilatation of the left atrium, valvular reorganisation and a modification in the large vessels. IN A PATHOLOGICAL CONTEXT: The Doppler echocardiography also detects the various cardiovascular affections related to ageing: valvulopathies, notably calcified aortic stenosis and mitral failure due to mitral anulus calcification or prolapsus of the valve; primary hypertrophic cardiomyopathy or secondary to arterial hypertension or an amyloidosis, and possibly leading to heart failure with spared systolic function, frequent in elderly patients; ischemic cardiopathies that have benefited, as in younger patient, from new echographical stress testing techniques, which safely study the variability in myocardial ischemia. Transoesophageal echography can also be performed in elderly patients, but the indications of this more invasive and less well-tolerated examination must be assessed case by case. It is very useful when an intra-parietal aortic hematoma is suspected or during aortic dissection or infectious endocarditis.
Tabet
J-Y
JY
Cardiologue, centre de réadaptation cardiovasculaire des Grand Prés, Villeneuve Saint Denis. Jtabet@free.fr
Pascal
O
O
Monin
J-L
JL
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000686:Amyloidosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002302:Cardiac Output; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D002312:Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004452:Echocardiography; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D025401:Echocardiography, Stress; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D017379:Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012737:Sex Factors