Assessment of coronary artery aneurysms with multiplane transesophageal echocardiography.

Coronary artery aneurysms are rare and may be difficult to detect clinically. Multiplane transesophageal echocardiography provides numerous imaging planes that may improve the assessment of coronary aneurysms and act as an adjunct to standard angiography. Five patients with angiographically detected coronary aneurysms were studied with multiplane transesophageal echocardiography and Doppler flow imaging. Transesophageal echocardiography was successful in identifying the size and characteristics of the coronary aneurysms. Doppler ultrasound identified markedly increased flow velocity in a patient with a coronary arteriovenous fistula and decreased coronary flow velocity in two patients with aneurysmal coronary arteries and intracoronary thrombus. Multiplane transesophageal echocardiography is a useful, noninvasive method of assessing coronary artery aneurysms and may act as an adjunct to angiography in identifying fistula anastomosis.