Traumatic Aortic Dissection Pseudoaneurysm with Multiple Entry: Role of Transesophageal Echocardiography

Traumatic aortic dissection following sudden deceleration injury requires urgent treatment as it may result in formation of aneurysm that may expand or rupture leading to catastrophe. Confirmation of diagnosis of aortic dissection often requires contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) or magnetic resonance imaging, which is time-consuming. Often, there is a significant time lag between the CECT chest and surgical intervention. Progression of aortic dissections may be missed on CECT chest, which would be done in the initial hours after injury. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is equally efficient for the diagnosis of aortic dissection. It may also provide additional information that can be very useful for the management. We report the case of a descending thoracic aortic dissection where TEE plays a crucial role during the surgical management of the patient.