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Updated: Aug 8, 2025

Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
Published on: February 8, 2022
Transesophageal Echocardiogram: Still a Powerful Tool in the 21st Century for the Diagnosis of Aortic Dissection
Rui Flores1, Joana Lopes2, Vítor Hugo Pereira1
1Cardiology, Hospital de Braga, Braga, PRT.
Abstract:
A 63-year-old woman with a history of previous anaphylactic reaction to iodate contrast presented with sudden back pain during exertion associated with elevated D-dimer levels. Transthoracic echocardiogram was unremarkable. She was unable to perform a computerized tomography for further evaluation of the aorta due to her allergic background. Transesophageal echocardiogram disclosed a type B aortic dissection. This case report recalls the importance of transesophageal echocardiography in the algorithm for diagnosing aortic dissection in scenarios where CT is not possible.
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