Intraoperative diagnosis of aortic pseudoaneurysm with transesophageal echocardiography

A pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta is a rare complication of aortic va lve endocarditis that requires prompt diagnosis. Several imaging strategies can be used; however, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has been util ized more frequently due to its superior resolution in detection of aortic valve complications. This case presents a patient with prosthetic valve dys function in which intraoperative TEE was used to diagnose a previously unde tected aortic pseudoaneurysm, thus leading to a change in surgical manageme nt.