COMPARISON OF TRANSESOPHAGEAL AND TRANSTHORACIC ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY FOR DIAGNOSIS OF RIGHT-SIDED CARDIAC LESIONS

Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is an established method for the evaluation of cardiac or paracardiac structural abnormalities such as tumors, vegetations and thrombi.1-4 Cardiac structural resolution can be limited with TTE owing to anatomic interference. With transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), regions of the heart previously difficult to visualize are now readily studied. These regions include the vena cavae, right ventricular outflow tract, pulmonic valve and pulmonary trunk. The usefulness of TEE as compared with TTE in assessing right-sided cardiac pathology has not been clearly determined. We compared both techniques with the objectives of studying their diagnostic ability for the evaluation of right-sided cardiac lesions, and comparing data obtained with those from other confirmatory techniques. © 1992.