title: Innovations in transesophageal echocardiographic imaging.
abstract: Over the last three decades, the continuing development of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has represented a major advance in our ability to visualize cardiovascular structures with ultrasound. TEE serves as a valuable complement to transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) by allowing: images to be obtained with less attenuation from structures such as the lung, muscle, bone, and soft tissue; high resolution visualization of structures not well seen by TTE, such as left atrial appendage, descending thoracic aorta, and prosthetic heart valves; and assessment of hemodynamics and flow disorders in greater detail. This article provides a brief overview of current as well as emerging clinical applications of transesophageal echocardiography.
authors.affiliation: Noninvasive Cardiac Imaging Laboratories, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA. pward@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu
authors.forename: R Parker
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: Roberto M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Lang
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003287:Contrast Media; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media