[Biplane transesophageal echocardiography. Experience with 130 outpatients].
OBJECTIVE
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.


CONCLUSIONS
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.
Matsumoto
A Y
AY
Centro de Cardiologia Não Invasiva, São Paulo.
Ortiz
M J
MJ
Ghefter
C G
CG
Moisés
V A
VA
Silva
C E
CE
Queiroz Filho
D B
DB
Germeck
M R
MR
Farias
S T
ST
Marotta
R H
RH
Barretto
A C
AC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D002648:Child; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging
Ecocardiografia transesofágica biplanar. Experiência em 130 pacientes ambulatoriais.