Surgery for coronary artery disease with penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer of the ascending aorta

Penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer (PAU) is most often found in the descending aorta but rarely in the ascending aorta. In such a rare case, a 63-year-old man with ischemic change at precordial leads in electrocardiography was found in coronary angiography to have the left main trunk stenosis and in aortography (aortic phase of left ventriculography) to have PAU in the ascending aorta. We conducted 3-vessel coronary artery bypass grafting and replaced the ascending aorta. Preoperative evaluation of the ascending aorta is thus important in cardiac surgery as in this case.