[Assessment of atrial pathologies in children using transesophageal echocardiography]

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Pediatric Cardiology
• Echocardiography

Background:

• Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is crucial for evaluating suspected atrial septal pathology.
• TEE is indicated for monitoring interventional procedures like atrial septal defect (ASD) closure.
• It also aids in assessing postoperative complications and residual defects in congenital heart anomalies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the diagnostic utility of TEE in pediatric patients with suspected atrial pathology.
• To assess TEE's role in guiding interventional procedures and postoperative care.
• To compare TEE with transthoracic echocardiography for atrial morphology assessment.

Main Methods:

• TEE was performed in 112 pediatric patients (mean age 8.7 years) between 1999-2002.
• Standard TEE techniques were employed for all examinations.
• Data collected included confirmation of atrial defects, prediction of patent foramen ovale, and documentation of specific defect types.

Main Results:

• TEE confirmed suspected atrial defects in 45 of 112 children.
• TEE demonstrated higher accuracy in predicting patent foramen ovale (13.4%) compared to standard echocardiography (8.7%).
• TEE identified multiple ASDs (4.1%), sinus venosus defects (6.1%), and was used for endocarditis evaluation and postoperative care assessment. Seven ASD closures were successfully guided by TEE.

Conclusions:

• TEE offers superior atrial morphology evaluation compared to transthoracic echocardiography, even in infants.
• TEE is indicated for interventional procedures and postoperative assessment of atrial pathology.
• TEE enhances diagnostic accuracy and procedural guidance in pediatric cardiac care.