The value of transesophageal echocardiography in the diagnosis of cardiac metastasis.
To assess the diagnostic value of transesophageal two-dimensional echocardiography (TEE) as compared with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE), TTE and TEE were performed in eight consecutive patients (age range from 20 to 76 years, six male and two female) with clinical evidence of malignant tumors arising from the liver (n = 1), lung (n = 3), larynx (n = 1), osteogenic sarcoma (n = 1), lymphoma (n = 1), and yolk sac tumor in the anterior mediastinum (n = 1).  In one case, the gastroscope could not be inserted because of tumor compression of the esophagus.  Transesophageal echocardiography provided superior imaging in the detection of intracavitary metastatic lesions.  In the case of right ventricular outflow tract tumor and greater vessel involvement, TTE may provide more imaging than TEE due to a blind area in this region by the transesophageal approach.  In conclusion, TEE is complementary to TTE in the diagnosis of metastatic cardiac tumor.
Division of Cardiology, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China.
T L
TL
Hsu
M C
MC
Hsiung
S L
SL
Lin
C H
CH
Chen
C C
CC
Chen
S P
SP
Wang
M S
MS
Chang
B N
BN
Chiang
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D004947:Esophagus; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged