Cerebral infarction due to dispersal of aortic atheromas detected by transoesophageal echocardiography during transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a rapidly evolving treatment option with an inherent risk of causing cerebral infarctions. The mechanism of cerebral infarction during TAVI mainly involves embolisms from the aortic wall and valve. Transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is useful for detecting aortic atheromas. We present the case of a patient in whom the dispersal of aortic atheromas was monitored by TEE during TAVI. This report demonstrates the importance of preoperatively predicting embolisms from aortic atheromas in patients with severe aortic stenosis.