title: Transesophageal echocardiography in the presence of left atrial calcification.
abstract: Calcification of left atrial walls is a rare finding that has been reported to hamper visibility of intracardiac structures during transesophageal echocardiography because of the posterior location of the left atrium. We report a case of severe mitral stenosis associated with heavy left atrial calcification in which we could obtain good quality transesophageal imaging in spite of such a calcification. We conclude that calcification of left atrial walls does not necessarily imply a limitation of transesophageal echocardiography.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Dehli, India.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Goel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging