Transthoracic ultrasound approach of thoracic aorta in critically ill patients with lung consolidation.
OBJECTIVE
Normally, the aortic arch and the descending aorta are not visible using transthoracic ultrasonography. We hypothesize that lung consolidation of upper and lower lobes, by opening an acoustic window, may allow the ultrasound examination of the thoracic aorta.


METHODS
During a 2-month period, 18 consecutive patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit with consolidation of upper and/or lower lobes diagnosed by lung ultrasound were studied. The ascending and descending aorta and the aortic arch were systematically searched for by positioning the probe on the anterior, lateral, and posterior regions of the chest wall.


RESULTS
Among the 16 patients with left lower lobe consolidation, the descending aorta was always visible by positioning the probe on lateral and posterior parts of the chest wall. In the 4 patients with consolidation of the left upper lobe, the aortic arch was visible when positioning the probe on anterior and upper parts of the left chest wall. In the patient with right upper lobe consolidation, both the ascending aorta and the aortic arch were visible when positioning the probe on anterior and upper parts of the right chest wall.


CONCLUSIONS
In critically ill patients, the presence of consolidated upper and left lower lobes may allow the ultrasound examination of the different parts of the thoracic aorta.
Barbry
Thomas
T
Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Réanimation Chirurgicale Pierre Viars, Hôpital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
Bouhemad
Bélaïd
B
Leleu
Kris
K
de Castro
Victor
V
Rémérand
Francis
F
Rouby
Jean-Jacques
JJ
D001013:Aorta, Thoracic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016638:Critical Illness; D004452:Echocardiography; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D012121:Respiration, Artificial