[Value and limits of single-plane transesophageal echocardiography in dysfunctions of aortic valve prosthesis]

The authors reviewed retrospectively the results of transoesophageal and transthoracic echocardiography in 26 patients with prosthetic aortic valve dysfunction in order to study the value and limitations of monoplane transoesophageal echocardiography in this condition. Surgical data was available in 14 of these cases. The diagnosis of abscess of the aortic ring was made on 7 occasions by transoesophageal echocardiography and on 3 occasions by transthoracic echocardiography Bacterial vegetations were visualised in 5 cases by transoesophageal echocardiography and in 1 case by transthoracic echocardiography. The diagnosis of thrombosis was made in 1 case by transoesophageal echocardiography and missed by transthoracic echocardiography; fibrous pannus (n = 1) was not recognised on transoesophageal and transthoracic echocardiography. In the latter two conditions, transthoracic Doppler showed signs of obstruction. The diagnosis of a stenotic bioprosthesis due to fibrocalcific degeneration was made in 1 case by transoesophageal and in 1 case by transthoracic echocardiography. Prolapse of cusp was diagnosed in 6 cases by transthoracic echocardiography. An intraprosthetic valve leak was visualised in 7 cases by transoesophageal echocardiography and in 9 cases by transthoracic echocardiography; periprosthetic leaks were diagnosed in 9 cases by transoesophageal and in 12 cases by transthoracic echocardiography. These results indicate that transoesophageal echocardiography is a major advance in the diagnosis of abscess of the aortic ring, bacterial vegetations and prosthetic valve thrombosis. On the other hand, transthoracic echocardiography remains superior for the quantification or regurgitation and enables evaluation of transprosthetic gradients of obstructive prostheses with continuous mode Doppler. Therefore, the two methods are complementary.