title: Two- and live/real time three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiographic assessment of infective endocarditis of a valved pulmonary conduit.
abstract: We describe the use of a nonstandard left infraclavicular approach in making the diagnosis of an infected valved conduit with two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography. The patient was an adult with tetralogy of Fallot and pulmonary atresia who had undergone multiple surgical repair procedures. The initial diagnosis of infective endocarditis was made by transesophageal echocardiography. Both techniques demonstrated a single, large vegetation in the conduit. Live/real time three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography, on the other hand, provided further information by demonstrating several additional vegetations in the conduit and more comprehensively assessed their size by enabling measurement of their azimuthal dimensions and volumes. The patient was treated with antibiotics with complete resolution of the vegetations.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama.
authors.forename: John C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Gulotta
authors.forename: Saurabh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gaba
authors.forename: Serkan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bulur
authors.forename: Marisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Joson
authors.forename: Aylin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sungur
authors.forename: Navin C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Nanda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019736:Prostheses and Implants / Q000382:microbiology*; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: infected valved pulmonary conduit; infective endocarditis; pulmonary conduit; tetralogy of Fallot; three-dimensional echocardiography; two-dimensional echocardiography