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Transesophageal echocardiography in adults with congenital cardiopathies
J Vargas-Barron1, M Rijlaarsdam, A Romero-Cardenas
1Department of Echocardiography, Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia Ignacio Chavez, Mexico City, D.F.
Insights
Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) effectively diagnosed various congenital heart defects in 87 adult patients. This advanced imaging confirmed diagnoses and provided crucial details for complex cardiac conditions.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
- Echocardiography
Background:
- Congenital cardiopathies represent a spectrum of complex heart conditions requiring accurate diagnosis.
- Advanced imaging modalities are essential for characterizing structural abnormalities in adult congenital heart disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the diagnostic utility of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in adult patients with congenital cardiopathy.
- To compare TEE findings with cardiac catheterization and surgical outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Eighty-seven adult patients with congenital cardiopathy underwent transthoracic echocardiography followed by TEE.
- TEE utilized monoplanar and biplanar probes to confirm diagnoses and gather specific information.
- TEE results were correlated with cardiac catheterization in all patients and surgical findings in a subset.
Main Results:
- TEE successfully diagnosed various congenital heart anomalies including dextrocardia, situs inversus, intracardiac shunts, Ebstein's anomaly, and corrected transposition of great vessels.
- Specific diagnoses included 27 cases of Ebstein's anomaly, 15 corrected transposition of great vessels, and 7 univentricular atrioventricular connections.
- TEE proved particularly valuable for diagnosing total anomalous pulmonary venous connection, common atrioventricular canal, and rarer conditions.
Conclusions:
- Transesophageal echocardiography is a highly effective tool for diagnosing and characterizing congenital cardiopathies in adults.
- TEE provides critical diagnostic information, especially for complex and rare congenital heart diseases, aiding in management decisions.
Abstract:
Eighty-seven adult patients with congenital cardiopathy were studied by using transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) over a period of 30 months. Transthoracic echocardiography was practiced on all patients, after which TEE with monoplanar and biplanar probes (74 and 15 patients, respectively) was used to confirm principal diagnoses and determine specific information. TEE findings were compared with those of cardiac catheterization in all 87 cases and with those of surgery in 15 cases. Dextrocardia was found in 11 cases and mesocardia in 2. Situs inversus was demonstrated in 6 and levoisomerism in 4. Intracardiac and extracardiac shunts were diagnosed in 20 cases, Ebstein's anomaly in 27, corrected transposition of great vessels in 15, univentricular atrioventricular connection in 7, cor triatriatum in 1, parachute mitral valve in 1, crisscross heart in 1, and double-outlet left atrium in 1. TEE was of particular value in evaluating total anomalous pulmonary venous connection, common atrioventricular canal, Ebstein's anomaly, corrected transposition of great vessels, and univentricular atrioventricular connection and in diagnosis of the rarer congenital cardiopathies.