Placas protruyentes de la aorta torácica en el ecocardiograma transesofágico: características clínicas y ecográficas / Protruding plaques of the thoracic aorta in the transesophageal echocardiography: clinical and echographic features

ABSTRACT

Transesophageal echocardiography has a better sensitivity than conventional echocardiography for the detection of protruding atheroesclerotic plaques of the thoracic aorta. Clinical histories of 308 patients subjected to transesophageal echocardiography were reviewed. Subjects with protruding aortic plaques >0,5 cm were selected. Fifteen patients had protruding aortic plaques on transesophageal echocardiography and none of these were detected with conventional echocardiography. All these patients were in sinus rhythm and had high blood pressure. Ten subjects (67 percent) had a history of ischemic cerebrovascular or peripheral artery diseases (compared to 31 percent of subjects without protruding plaques) and in 7, the plaque was the only embolic source. Six patients (40 percent), smoked and 4 (27 percent) had coronary artery disease. One patient was diabetic and one had hypercholesterolemia. In conclusion, transesophageal echocardiography allows the detection of protruding aortic plaques that are potential embolic sources in patients with vascular diseases