Three-dimensional echocardiographic and surgical findings in mitral mechanical valve dysfunction.
Periodic echocardiographic evaluation of valve function is recommended in all patients with prosthetic valves. Usually trans-thoracic echocardiography (TTE) is satisfactory to assess prosthetic function. Nevertheless when the TTE is suboptimal or in case of strong clinical doubt of prosthetic valve dysfunction, trans-esophageal echocardiography (TEE) remains the gold standard of imaging. Recent advancements in echocardiography, with the three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction, provide an incremental diagnostic value as compared to two-dimensional TEE. In addition, 3D-TEE gives unique views that add extra morphological and anatomical information, providing a very accurate presurgical evaluation.
Division of Cardiology, Ferrarotto Hospital, University of Catania, Italy.
Salvatore
S
Scandura
Valeria
V
Cammalleri
Anna
A
Caggegi
Aldo
A
Castello
Giuseppe
G
Ronsivalle
Fabio
F
Dipasqua
Antonio Andrea
AA
Arcidiacono
Antonino
A
Indelicato
Carmelo
C
Mignosa
Corrado
C
Tamburino
D000368:Aged; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging