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Assessment of the structure and function of the aorta by echocardiography

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2017

Anitha Parthiban  and
Girish Shirali
Anitha Parthiban*
Affiliation:
Ward Family Heart Center, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America
Girish Shirali
Affiliation:
Ward Family Heart Center, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri, United States of America
*
Correspondence to: A. Parthiban, MD, Children’s Mercy Hospital, 2401 Gillham Road, Kansas City, MO 64108, United States of America. Tel: +816 234 3255; Fax: 816 302 9987; E-mail: aparthiban@cmh.edu
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Abstract

Echocardiography is the primary modality for imaging the aorta for the diagnosis and serial evaluation of pathological conditions. In this article, we review the methodology for optimal echocardiographic imaging of the various segments of the aorta and discuss abnormalities of the aorta including stenosis, dilation including aortopathy and sinus of Valsalva aneurysms, and fistulous communications involving the ascending aorta including aortoventricular tunnel and ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm. We review novel echocardiographic measurements of aortic functional properties of the aorta such as elasticity and stiffness, and review the literature on the potential additive value of such measurements for structural assessment alone. Finally, we discuss the limitations of echocardiography in the precise and optimal imaging of the aorta.

Keywords

Supravalvar aortic stenosissinus of Valsalva aneurysmaortoventricular tunnelechocardiographic imaging of the aortaaortic stiffness
Type
Review Articles
Information
Cardiology in the Young , Volume 26 , Special Issue 8: HeartWeek 2016 , December 2016 , pp. 1543 - 1552
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2017 

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