Data from: Diagnostic value of transthoracic echocardiography in patients with coarctation of aorta: the Chinese experience in 53 patients studied between 2008 and 2012 in one major medical center

Although aortography is well known as the “gold standard” for the
diagnosis of coarctation of aorta (CoA), the method is invasive, expensive
and not readily accepted by some patients. Ultrasound diagnosis for CoA is
non-invasive, inexpensive, readily accepted by every patient, and can be
repeated as frequently as necessary. The purpose of this presentation is
to evaluate the applicability of transthoracic echocardiography for the
diagnosis of CoA. The echocardiographic appearances of 53 patients with
CoA who had undergone surgery during a 5-year period from January 2008 to
October 2012 were analyzed retrospectively, and the results were compared
with findings at surgery. Fifty-three patients with CoA include six with
isolated CoA and 47 of CoA associated with other cardiac anomalies. Of the
53 operated patients, 48 were correctly diagnosed preoperatively by
echocardiography, while two were misdiagnosed as interrupted aortic arch
and the diagnosis were missed in three other patients. Thus the diagnostic
accuracy rate was 90.6%, and the misdiagnosis rate was 9.4%. Preoperative
echocardiographic evaluation offers very satisfactory anatomic assessment
in most patients with CoA. It makes preoperative angiography unnecessary.
Thus transthoracic echocardiography should be the first-line method for
the diagnosis of coarctation of the aorta.