Echocardiography and Ultrasonography
Portable, avoids radiation and contrast media, and can be deployed intra-operatively.
Transthoracic Echocardiography (TTE)
- TTE cannot provide a comprehensive exam of the aorta, but certain regions can be visualized: aortic valve and root, ascending aorta, arch, descending, and abdominal aorta
- TTE is reasonable for assessing aortic valve disorders and monitoring aortic root and ascending aortic dilatation (e.g. especially in Marfan syndrome).
- It is not sensitive enough to rule out thoracic aortic [...] (sensitivity 70 %).
Transesophageal Echocardiography (TEE)
- TEE can visualize the ascending aorta, transverse arch, and entire descending thoracic aorta.
- The distal ascending aorta and proximal aortic arch may be obscured by the trachea.
- TEE, in contrast to other modalities, can provide functional information such as flow–dynamics in true and false lumens, detection of AI, detection of cardiac tamponade, and assessment of left ventricular function.
Abdominal ultrasonography
- the technique of choice for screening for infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), but is less accurate as applied to the suprarenal aorta or branch vessels.