Visualization of acute pulmonary emboli by transesophageal echocardiography

This report describes a patient who became hypoxic and hypotensive while awaiting cardiac surgery. An urgent transesophageal echocardiogram in the operating room showed a mass at the junction of the main and right pulmonary arteries consistent with thrombus. The thrombus was removed surgically, and the patient then had a successful aortic valve replacement. Transesophageal echocardiography is therefore useful in the evaluation of the critically ill patient.