[Value of transesophageal echocardiography in the diagnosis of paravalvular aortic abscess]. / Valore dell'ecocardiografia transesofagea nella diagnosi di ascesso paravalvolare aortico.
G Ital Cardiol
; 24(11): 1407-12, 1994 Nov.
Article
em It
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-7828795
ABSTRACT
Paravalvular abscesses are a serious complication of aortic endocarditis. Echocardiography is the method of choice for the visualization of the valve-attached vegetations, however the detection of endocarditis-associated abscesses by transthoracic approach is extremely difficult. Recently transesophageal echocardiography has been proved as an excellent tool to correctly detect these lesions. We report on two patients with endocarditis-associated abscesses in whom transesophageal echocardiography allowed us to diagnose paravalvular abscesses not recognized by transthoracic echocardiography; furthermore in the first patient, performing two successive transesophageal examinations before and after antibiotic therapy, we could follow the evaluation of aortic abscess which became a fistula draining into the left ventricular outflow tract. In conclusion these two cases suggest that transesophageal echocardiography should be always performed in patients suspected or known to have endocarditis and that a following examination is indicated to assess any evolving echocardiographic finding.
Buscar no Google
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Valva Aórtica
/
Ecocardiografia Transesofagiana
/
Abscesso
/
Endocardite Bacteriana
/
Doenças das Valvas Cardíacas
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Etiology_studies
/
Evaluation_studies
Limite:
Adult
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Idioma:
It
Ano de publicação:
1994
Tipo de documento:
Article