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Analysis of circumflex artery anatomy by real time 3D transesophageal echocardiography compared to cardiac computed tomography

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Abstract

Iatrogenic injury to the circumflex artery (Cx) due to its close proximity to the mitral annulus is a rare but dreadful complication that can occur during mitral valve repair. The aim of our study was to compare multiple measurements of the Cx datasets, obtained by real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (RT3D TEE) and corresponding measurements assessed in multi-planar three-dimensional images acquired by multidetector computed tomography (MDCT). Preoperative RT3D TEE and MDCT datasets of 25 patients who had previously undergone minimally invasive mitral valve surgery were retrospectively analyzed. The vessel diameter and the horizontal as well as vertical distances from the center of the Cx to the mitral valve annulus were measured. Horizontal as well as vertical Cx distances showed a strong correlation between measurements of RT3D TEE and MDCT whereas the measurements of the Cx diameter showed no correlation. Measurements of horizontal and vertical distances of the Cx to the mitral annulus can be performed using RT3D TEE and show good correlation with MDCT-based measurements.

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Abbreviations

TEE:

Transesophageal echocardiography

MDCT:

Multi detector computed tomography

2D:

Two dimensional

3D:

Three dimensional

RT:

Real Time

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Heart Center Leipzig, Struempellstr. 39, 04289, Leipzig, Germany

    Carmine Bevilacqua & Joerg Ender

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, University Medical Center, Johannes - Gutenberg University, Langenbeckstraße 1, 55131, Mainz, Germany

    Sarah Eibel

  3. Department of Radiology, Heart Center Leipzig, Struempellstr. 39, 04289, Leipzig, Germany

    Borek Foldyna, Thomas Knoefler, Lukas Lehmkuhl & Matthias Gutberlet

  4. Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Clinic for Cardiac Surgery, Franz-Lust-Straße 30, 76185, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Chirojit Mukherjee

  5. Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Heart Center, University Leipzig, Struempellstr. 39, 04289, Leipzig, Germany

    Joerg Seeburger & Piroze Davierwala

Authors
  1. Carmine Bevilacqua
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  2. Sarah Eibel
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  3. Borek Foldyna
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  7. Chirojit Mukherjee
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  10. Joerg Ender
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Correspondence to Carmine Bevilacqua.

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Bevilacqua, C., Eibel, S., Foldyna, B. et al. Analysis of circumflex artery anatomy by real time 3D transesophageal echocardiography compared to cardiac computed tomography. Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 33, 1703–1710 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10554-017-1162-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10554-017-1162-7

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