Late presentation of esophageal injury after transesophageal echocardiography.
Esophageal injury is a rare complication of intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) associated with cardiac surgery. We report two cases of delayed presentation (2 and 6 days after surgery) of esophageal injury that were likely due to TEE. The differential diagnosis of postoperative pleural effusion or anemia must include esophageal injury from TEE, even 6 days after the procedure.
Departments of * Anesthesia, † Internal Medicine, and ‡ Cardiothoracic Surgery, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Drew A
DA
MacGregor
David A
DA
Zvara
R Morris
RM
Treadway
Jamal A
JA
Ibdah
James D
JD
Maloney
Neal D
ND
Kon
Robert D
RD
Riley
D000368:Aged; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D003324:Coronary Artery Disease / Q000601:surgery; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000293:injuries*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D011859:Radiography