Usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography for diagnosis of infected transvenous permanent pacemakers.
BACKGROUND
Transesophageal echocardiography is superior to transthoracic echocardiography in detecting left-sided valvular vegetations. There are no data on the value of transesophageal echocardiography in the diagnosis of infected transvenous permanent pacemakers.


RESULTS
Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography was performed in 10 patients for whom there was clinical suspicion of infected permanent transvenous pacemakers. Transthoracic echocardiography detected pacemaker lead vegetations in 2 patients, whereas transesophageal echocardiography visualized pacemaker lead vegetations in 7 patients. Surgical confirmation was obtained in 6 of these 7 patients. Most patients had more than one pacemaker electrode in place. Local complications at the generator pocket were present in 6 patients. Staphylococcus was the predominant causative organism.


CONCLUSIONS
Transesophageal echocardiography is superior to transthoracic echocardiography in the detection of pacemaker lead vegetations.
Vilacosta
I
I
Department of Cardiology, Hospital Universitario San Carlos, Madrid, Spain.
Sarriá
C
C
San Román
J A
JA
Jiménez
J
J
Castillo
J A
JA
Iturralde
E
E
Rollán
M J
MJ
Martínez Elbal
L
L
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010138:Pacemaker, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects*