Occult Thoraco-Abdominal Dissecting Aneurysm in a Patient With Marfan's Syndrome—Diagnosis by Real-Time Ultrasound

✍ Scribed by A. Goodman; J. K. Lipinski; B. Neumann

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1984
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 512 KB
• Volume: 12
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0091-2751
• DOI: 10.1002/jcu.1870120214

✦ Synopsis

Real-time ultrasonography is a useful, noninvasive method in the diagnosis of aortic dissection involving the thoracic and abdominal aorta. A case of an asymptomatic dissection in a patient with Marfan's syndrome is described.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

Sonography was performed using a commercially available real-time mechanical sector scanner with a 3 MHz transducer. A complete study of the entire aorta was performed using the following views."' 1. Left parasternal long and short axis views of the proximal ascending thoracic aorta and descending thoracic aorta. 2. Second right interspace long and short axis views of the ascending thoracic aorta.

3. Suprasternal notch view of the aortic arch (short axis and long axis views).

4. Subcostal long and short axis views of the distal descending thoracic aorta and abdominal aorta. 5. Other accessory views: both supraclavicular fossa views and posterior thoracic approach (to left of spine) for the descending thoracic aorta.

CASE REPORT

A 28-year-old black man presented with a 3-week history of tiredness and dyspnea on effort. Physi-From the Department of Radiology, Groote Schuur Hospital/ University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa. Manuscript