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[Biplane transesophageal echocardiography. Experience with 130 outpatients]
A Y Matsumoto1, M J Ortiz, C G Ghefter
1Centro de Cardiologia Não Invasiva, São Paulo.
Purpose:
To analyse the utility of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) as a complementary technique to transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) comparing results and additional informations.
Methods:
One hundred and thirty consecutive outpatients (66 male) submitted to TEE, with age ranging from 12 to 84 years were studied. Patients were grouped according to the main indication: evaluation of prosthetic valves, 21 patients; cardiac source of emboli, 43; diseases of the aorta, 17; infective endocarditis, 14; congenital heart diseases, 14 and other abnormalities in 21 patients.
Results:
TEE provided additional and important information in all groups. Perivalvular leakage was observed in 42.1% of patients with prosthetic valves. Vegetations were detected in 45.5% of the suspected cases of endocarditis (missed by TTE). Dissection of aorta was diagnosed in 35.2% of patients with suspected disease and atrial septal defect was successfully recognized in 80% of the cases. No complications were observed.
Conclusion:
TEE is a safe and usefull complementary non-invasive diagnostic tool in the assessment of structures such as left atrium, left atrial appendage, thoracic aorta, prosthetic valves and in the investigation of infective endocarditis.