title: Incremental value of live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography over the two-dimensional technique in the assessment of aortic atherosclerotic thrombi and ulcers.
abstract: We present two cases in whom live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3DTEE) provided incremental value in the assessment of atherosclerotic disease in the aorta. In one patient, it identified additional atherosclerotic ulcers as well as thrombi within them which were missed by two-dimensional (2D) TEE. In both cases, the size of the large mobile atherosclerotic plaque was underestimated by 2DTEE as compared with 3DTEE. Furthermore, 3DTEE provided volume quantification of the thrombi and ulcers which is not possible by 2DTEE. The echocardiographic findings of atherosclerotic plaques were confirmed by computed tomography in one patient and by surgery in the other.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Mahmoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elsayed
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Serkan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bulur
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Aditi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kalla
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Mustafa I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Hsiung
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Begum
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Uygur
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Nermina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Alagic
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Aylin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sungur
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Satinder
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: Navin C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Nanda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003199:Computer Systems; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014456:Ulcer / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
keywords: aortic arch; aortic atheroma; ascending aorta; atheromatous ulcer; complex atheroma; three-dimensional echocardiography; three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography; thrombus; two-dimensional echocardiography; two-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography