title: Usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography in evaluation of paracardiac neoplastic masses.
abstract: Mediastinal paracardiac tumors may cause both cardiovascular complications and problems in differential diagnosis of cardiac diseases. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) may give an additional new window to mediastinal neoplasms, but only a few studies have been reported. TEE was performed in 70 patients with paracardiac neoplastic masses. The procedure was indicated to solve particular clinical problems in 20 patients, and as a prospective study on 50 unselected patients with mediastinal neoplasms. Twenty-three patients underwent follow-up studies; a total of 101 echocardiograms were recorded. The procedure was tolerated well or very well by most patients, and provided additional anatomic or hemodynamic data in every patient in group a and in 45 of 50 in group b. The additional data were relevant for clinical management in 14 of 20 patients in group a, and in 3 of 45 in group b. Based on the results of this study, TEE is useful in association with other radiologic techniques in patients with paracardiac neoplasms. As an imaging technique, it may represent a reliable alternative to computed tomography whenever the latter is not feasible.
authors.affiliation: Reparto di Cardiologia, Servizio di Emodinamica, A.R.C., Ospedale Civile, Pordenone, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lestuzzi
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Nicolosi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mimo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pavan
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zanuttini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D004947:Esophagus; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D006689:Hodgkin Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology