Erkrankungen der thorakalen Aorta: klinische Symptomatik, elektrokardiographische, röntgenologische und echokardiographische Diagnostik

In aortic diseases, echocardiography is considered as one of the most important diagnostic tools. As a bed-side procedure, it is fast, feasible, sensitive, specific, and save, and therefore, should be employed in the case of symptoms potentially indicating acute aortic diseases. Nowadays, basic dignostics as ECG and X-ray are immediately followed by transthoracic (TTE) and, so far the descending aorta is affected, transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE), too. Although TEE has been clearly shown to be superior to TTE, both techniques are used complementary. Recent results show that laboratory diagnostics, and especially the C-reactive protein can also play a favourable role in differential and follow-up diagnostics. In high-risk patients typically presenting with arterial hypertension, atherosclerosis, or congenital disorders, especially heart and vascular defects, one should not hesitate to exclude aortic aneurysm with and without dissection. J Kardiol 2001; 8: 5–10