The use of 3D epiaortic scanning to enhance evaluation of atherosclerotic plaque in the ascending aorta: a case series.

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is becoming the standard of practice for cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) surgery. Unfortunately, large sections of the ascending aorta are not visible on TEE, and epiaortic scanning has proven superior to TEE and aortic palpation in determining the extent of plaque in the ascending aorta. The recently introduced x4 3-dimensional (3D) ultrasound probe allows both real time 3D imaging and gated acquisition sequences. We present a case series in which 3D ultrasound was used for epiaortic imaging in patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery, and we discuss the benefits and limitations of this imaging modality.