title: Imaging Techniques for Diagnosis of Thoracic Aortic Atherosclerosis.
abstract: The most severe complications after cardiac surgery are neurological complications including stroke which is often caused by emboli merging from atherosclerosis in the ascending aorta to the brain. Information about the thoracic aorta is crucial in reducing the embolization risk for both surgical open and closed chest procedures such as transaortic heart valve implantation. Several techniques are available to screen the ascending aorta, for example, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), epiaortic ultrasound, TEE A-view method, manual palpation, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. This paper provides a description of the advantages and disadvantages of these imaging techniques.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Isala Clinics, Dokter van Heesweg 2, 8025 AB Zwolle, Netherlands; Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Wouter W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Jansen Klomp
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Surgery, Isala Clinics, Dokter van Heesweg 2, 8025 AB Zwolle, Netherlands.
authors.forename: George J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Brandon Bravo Bruinsma
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, P.O. Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Arnoud W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: van 't Hof
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Koningsplein 1, 7512 KZ Enschede, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Grandjean
authors.affiliation: Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Isala Clinics, Dokter van Heesweg 2, 8025 AB Zwolle, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Arno P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Nierich