Kounis N G, Constantinidis K
Thorax. 1980 Jun;35(6):467-71. doi: 10.1136/thx.35.6.467.
Aortic root dilatation was sought by echocardiography and radiology in 500 consecutive patients referred to an echocardiography laboratory from cardiac or medical clinics and wards. Forty-four of these patients (8.8%) had false echocardiographic evidence of aortic root dissection, but no clinical evidence of the disease. These false findings were attributed to the changing of the transducer angulation, post-stenotic dilatation, calcific aortic stenosis, generalised arteriosclerosis, and thin reverberations behind the posterior wall echo. In one patient with Marfan's syndrome, the chest radiograph was normal and a diagnosis was established by echocardiography. In another patient with syphilis, the dilatation was seen in the chest radiograph while echocardiography revealed a normal proximal aorta. In syphilis the dilatation begins distally and because of the intervening lung tissue echocardiography is unhelpful. Echocardiograms easily detect the aortic valve ring while radiographs show the more distal ascending aorta. These observations may be of added value in the diagnosis of aortic root disease.
在500例连续从心脏科或内科诊所及病房转诊至超声心动图实验室的患者中，通过超声心动图和放射学检查来寻找主动脉根部扩张情况。其中44例患者（8.8%）有超声心动图显示的主动脉根部夹层假阳性证据，但无该病的临床证据。这些假阳性结果归因于换能器角度改变、狭窄后扩张、钙化性主动脉瓣狭窄、全身性动脉硬化以及后壁回声后方的薄回声。在1例马凡综合征患者中，胸部X线片正常，通过超声心动图确诊。在另1例梅毒患者中，胸部X线片显示有扩张，而超声心动图显示近端主动脉正常。在梅毒中，扩张始于远端，由于中间有肺组织，超声心动图诊断价值不大。超声心动图能轻易检测到主动脉瓣环，而X线片显示的是更远端的升主动脉。这些观察结果可能对主动脉根部疾病的诊断有额外价值。
