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Case Reports
. 2019 Aug 5;3(4):333-337.
doi: 10.5811/cpcem.2019.6.43245. eCollection 2019 Nov.

Importance of Multiple-window Assessment for the Diagnosis of Ascending Aortic Dissection Using Point-of-care Ultrasound: Report of Three Cases

Virginia Zarama  1 , María C Arango-Granados  1 , Luis A Bustamante Cristancho  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Importance of Multiple-window Assessment for the Diagnosis of Ascending Aortic Dissection Using Point-of-care Ultrasound: Report of Three Cases

Virginia Zarama et al. Clin Pract Cases Emerg Med. .

Abstract

Acute ascending aortic dissection has a high mortality rate and requires rapid diagnosis and treatment. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can aid in the diagnosis. The aortic root is usually evaluated in the parasternal long-axis view; however, a dissection flap is not always visible in this projection. We present three cases of acute, type A aortic dissection in which the dissection flap was only evident in the apical five-chamber and subxyphoid views. These cases suggest that POCUS may play a pivotal role in the initial diagnosis of acute ascending aortic dissection and highlight the importance of viewing multiple windows to fully evaluate this possibility.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: By the CPC-EM article submission agreement, all authors are required to disclose all affiliations, funding sources and financial or management relationships that could be perceived as potential sources of bias. The authors disclosed none.

Figures

Image 1
Image 1
Transthoracic echocardiography apical 5-chamber view of a patient with acute chest pain with a dissection flap (white arrow) visualized in the ascending aorta. LV, Left ventricle; RV, right ventricle; RA, right atrium.
Image 2
Image 2
Transthoracic echocardiography apical five-chamber view of a patient in post-cardiac arrest with a dissection flap (white arrow) visualized in the ascending aorta. LV, left ventricle; RV, right ventricle; RA, right atrium.
Image 3
Image 3
Transthoracic echocardiography subxyphoid view of a patient in post-cardiac arrest with a dissection flap (white arrow)visualized in the ascending aorta. LV, left ventricle; RV, right ventricle; RA, right atrium.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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