[The aortic arch as source of thromboembolism events--significance of echocardiography diagnosis].

A 43-year-old woman presented with acute embolic occlusion of the left brachial artery. She was immediately treated by surgical embolectomy. After exclusion of other possible embolic sources, the transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiographic examination revealed a floating thrombus in the aortic arch. There-upon an aortotomy and thrombectomy was performed and showed a normal wall structure of the thoracic aorta except for a minimal ulcerated lesion of the intima at the aortic arch. This case confirms that transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography are the diagnostic methods of choice for detecting thromboembolic sources originating in the heart or thoracic aorta.