Intraoperative diagnosis of aortic pseudoaneurysm with transesophageal echocardiography

A pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta is a rare complication of aortic valve endocarditis that requires prompt diagnosis. Several imaging strategies can be used; however, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has been utilized more frequently due to its superior resolution in detection of aortic valve complications. This case presents a patient with prosthetic valve dysfunction in which intraoperative TEE was used to diagnose a previously undetected aortic pseudoaneurysm, thus leading to a change in surgical management.     

Utility of transesophageal echocardiography in the diagnosis of aortic conduit endocarditis in patients who have undergone the Cabrol procedure.

The Cabrol procedure is being increasingly performed in patients with aortic pathologic conditions. Transesophageal echocardiography can help in the prompt diagnosis of endocarditis in these patients. In this report we present transesophageal echocardiographic features of two patients in whom endocarditis developed after they underwent the Cabrol procedure for ascending aortic aneurysm caused by Marfan's syndrome.     

先天性二叶主动脉瓣畸形的超声诊断价值

目的分析先天性二叶主动脉瓣畸形(BAVD)的多普勒超声表现,以提高对该病的认识.方法采用Acuson 128xp10及Sequoia256彩超仪,通过经胸超声(TTE)及经食道超声(TEE)检测44例(BAVD)患者的主动脉瓣表现、并发症.结果BAVD在大动脉短轴切面上为两个瓣膜及两个瓣膜联合点,舒张期呈单一关闭线,75%患者有不同程度瓣膜受损.主动脉瓣狭窄(AS)占34%,主动脉瓣关闭不全(AR)占68%,升主动脉扩张占30%;合并主动脉瓣赘生物5例,伴二尖瓣病变5例,房间隔缺及膜周部室缺各1例.结论BAVD可出现不同程度的AS及AR和由此所致的各种血流动力学异常,可伴多种先天及后天性心血管异常.多谱勒超声是诊断BAVD及其并发症的最佳方法.     

Spontaneous drainage of paravalvular abscess diagnosed by transesophageal echocardiography

Paravalvular abscesses, which occur in up to 30% of cases of native valve endocarditis, are being detected with increasing frequency with the use of transesophageal echocardiography. Abscesses of the mitral aortic intervalvular fibrosa have been described but only in association with native or prosthetic aortic valve endocarditis. We describe a patient with native mitral valve endocarditis complicated by an abscess in the fibrosa. A 51-year-old diabetic man presented with Staphylococcus aureus mitral valve endocarditis. A transesophageal echocardiographic study done 8 days after admission revealed two large masses at the base of the anterior mitral leaflet with extension into the fibrosa consistent with a paravalvular abscess that was not detected by precordial echocardiography. A repeat transesophageal echocardiographic study done 20 days after admission showed spontaneous drainage of the abscess and a subsequent fistula between the left atrium and left ventricle. This case highlights the important role that transesophageal echocardiography has in suspected and known cases of endocarditis. Its major advantage of delineating posterior cardiac structures allowed accurate diagnosis and serial evaluation of this previously unreported complication of endocarditis.     

A case of iatrogenic aortic valve leaflet perforation after closure of a ventricular septal defect

Aortic regurgitation caused by leaflet perforation is most frequently seen in association with infective endocarditis that involves the aortic valve. There have been occasional reports of iatrogenic aortic regurgitation caused by aortic valve injury after cardiac surgery with the use of the transaortic approach or invasive cardiac procedures. Suture-related aortic valve injury can develop during periaortic cardiac surgery, but this has been very rarely reported. Inadvertent injury to an aortic valve leaflet caused by a stitching needle or surgical forceps can produce leaflet perforation with aortic regurgitation. This report describes a case of aortic regurgitation that was caused by iatrogenic aortic valve leaflet perforation, and this occurred in a 22-year-old woman who underwent repair of a ventricular septal defect (VSD) 15 years previously. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) showed a defect located at the aortic annulus close to the infundibular septum on a two-dimensional echocardiographic study and we observed an eccentric jet flow into the left ventricle in early diastole on the continuous wave and color flow Doppler studies. A small perforation in the body of the right aortic cusp and mild to moderate aortic regurgitation were confirmed by the use of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and ascending aortography.     

Diagnoses of right-sided empyema complicating tricuspid valve endocarditis during transesophageal echocardiography.

A 25-year-old man, who was a known intravenous drug user, underwent transesophageal echocardiography as part of investigation for suggested infective endocarditis. Tricuspid valve infective endocarditis was diagnosed. The simultaneous visualization of right-sided empyema, previously undiagnosed, by transesophageal echocardiography, led to operative treatment by thoracoscopy and right lung decortication.     

不明原因缺血性脑卒中患者卵圆孔未闭和主动脉粥样硬化斑块的对比研究

目的 应用经食管超声心动图(TEE)探查卵圆孔未闭(PFO)及主动脉内粥样硬化复杂斑块(CA)并分析PFO及CA在不同年龄组与特发性缺血性脑卒中(CIS)的关系,寻找CIS的原因.方法 研究对象包括经TEE检查的229例CIS患者为病例组;314例无脑卒中病史但行TEE的患者作为对照组.对比分析这两组患者的不同年龄组PFO及主动脉内不同部位CA的发生率.结果 (1)与对照组相比,CIS患者的PFO发生率在年龄＜55岁及≥55 岁患者中均明显增高.(2)CA的发生率在年龄＜55岁及≥55 岁中差别均不明显.(3)多元回归分析显示 PFO 与2个年龄组CIS的发生均独立相关.结论 在导致CIS的可能致病因素中卵圆孔未闭较主动脉复杂斑块更有预测意义,而TEE检查是CIS病因诊断的可行手段.     

Eustachian valve endocarditis: a case series and analysis of the literature.

Eustachian valve endocarditis (EVE) is a syndrome characterized by clinical signs and symptoms of right-sided infective endocarditis in association with an infective vegetation on the eustachian valve. EVE usually occurs without associated involvement of any other cardiac valves, and it is difficult to diagnose accurately by transthoracic echocardiography. Transesophageal echocardiography appears to be a more sensitive tool for the diagnosis of EVE, and it is recommended when a patient with typical signs of right-sided endocarditis has normal results on a transthoracic echocardiography study. In general, EVE responds well to conventional antibiotic therapy.     

Aortic valve endocarditis caused by Salmonella species

We report a case of aortic valve endocarditis caused by an uncommon pathogen, Salmonella species. Transthoracic echocardiography proved to be inadequate to show the valvular destruction. Transesophageal echocardiography was instrumental in establishing the diagnosis of endocarditis by documenting aortic vegetations with attendant tissue damage extending beyond the valve leaflets (ie, subvalvular and perivalvular damage). The findings were anatomically confirmed at surgery, which also revealed an aortic root–right ventricular fistula and several aortic ring abscesses. Early implementation of transesophageal echocardiography is strongly recommended in patients with suspected endocarditis.© 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 27:45–48, 1999     

Unusual cases of infective endocarditis.

We report 2 patients with unusual cases of infective endocarditis. The first patient had a large, mural vegetation on left ventricle that was diagnosed with transthoracic echocardiography; and the second patient had a large, mobile vegetation in the descending prosthetic aorta with an abscess cavity around the vessel, diagnosed by transesophageal echocardiography. This report confirms the usefulness of transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography in the diagnosis and management of uncommon cases of endocarditis.     

Primary Mural Endocarditis Without Valvular Involvement

Primary mural endocarditis is an extremely rare infection in which nonvalvular endocardial involvement is seen without any cardiac structural abnormalities such as ventricular septal defects. The rapid and precise diagnosis of this disease remains challenging. We present 2 cases (67‐ and 47‐year‐old male patients) of pathologically confirmed primary mural endocarditis that could have been detected by initial transthoracic echocardiography in the emergency department. Transthoracic echocardiography and transesophageal echocardiography play critical roles in the early recognition and confirmation of primary mural endocarditis.     

超声心动图对感染性心内膜炎患者的赘生物及其他常见并发症的研究

目的总结和探讨感染性心内膜炎患者的赘生物及其他常见并发症的超声心动图详细特征及其不足之处。方法选取2003～2008年在我院住院且确诊为感染性心内膜炎患者118例,所有患者均进行了手术和病理检查确诊。并将患者经胸超声心动图与手术、病理结果进行比较研究。结果在符合入选条件的118例感染性心内膜炎患者中,病理发现赘生物或菌落者78例,慢性瓣膜炎71例,黏液样变性13例。本组病例中,超声检查出赘生物大小2～26mm,1至多个,活动度主要为好,以强或中强回声,首先以左心房面受累;超声心动图对赘生物检出率为83.8%;并且经胸超声心动图的检出率随着赘生物增大和数量逐渐增加。超声对于赘生物形态描述主要为团块状、不均质样回声,而手术中常描述为菜花状、结节状。超声对损伤瓣膜的检出率达89.1%,对单纯主动脉瓣损伤的检出率最高;对于其他并发症的检出率如人工瓣瓣周漏、瓣膜脱垂、脓肿、假性动脉瘤、瓣叶穿孔分别为100%、95.0%、66.7%、66.7%及33.3%,虽然超声对瓣叶穿孔检出率最低,但其特异度高达99.1%,而敏感度仅为22.2%。结论超声心动图能够对大部分感染性心内膜炎患者的赘生物大小、数量及附着位置、损伤瓣叶及其常见并发症进行准确判断,但对瓣叶穿孔判断能力有待提高,对赘生物形态的描述有待与手术统一。     

Pulmonic valve endocarditis as an underdiagnosed disease: role of transesophageal echocardiography.

Pulmonic valve endocarditis is a rare clinical entity. In spite of an increase in the frequency of right-sided endocarditis, primarily it is the tricuspid valve that is involved. Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography has improved our ability to diagnose infective endocarditis but has not identified many cases of pulmonic valve endocarditis. With the use of transesophageal echocardiography, three recent cases of pulmonic valve endocarditis were diagnosed by our laboratory. Each of these patients had clinical evidence of right-sided endocarditis, yet routine transthoracic echocardiograms failed to identify any pulmonic valve abnormalities. The true incidence of pulmonic valve endocarditis may be higher than previously reported, and the transesophageal echocardiogram is the preferred method for identifying and evaluating pulmonic valve endocarditis in adults.     

Teddy Bear in the Heart

In a patient with native aortic valve endocarditis, transoesphageal echocardiography yielded a teddy bear appearance which is not reported so far. A perivalvular abscess (right ear), the superior vena cava in cross section (left ear) and the dilated (post-stenotic) aortic root (face) made up the teddy bear. This was not a cuddlesome toy but an ominous sign. The genesis of perivalvular abscess as well as the role of transoesphageal echocardiography in its diagnosis and treatment are briefly reviewed.     

Bicuspid aortic valve stenosis complicated by descending aortic dissection mimicking coarctation of the aorta.

We report a rare case of bicuspid aortic stenosis complicated by an ascending aortic aneurysm and aortic dissection of DeBakey type IIIb. A 35-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital to examine her systolic murmur identified at birth. Severe aortic stenosis, dilatation of the ascending aorta, and the narrow color flow signal in the descending aorta were detected by transthoracic echocardiography. Initially, coarctation of the descending aorta was suspected, but aortic dissection, DeBakey type IIIb, was revealed by transesophageal echocardiography. Transesophageal echocardiography is indicated when only insufficient information is available on valve and aortic morphology in patients with bicuspid aortic valve.     

Are all echocardiographic findings equally predictive for diagnosis in prosthetic endocarditis?

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the predictive value of different anatomic echocardiographic findings for diagnosis of prosthetic endocarditis. BACKGROUND: Prognosis in endocarditis has improved in recent years after the wide acceptance of new clinical diagnostic criteria. One of the most important issues in clinical diagnosis is to use echocardiography for identification of endocardial involvement, but prosthetic material impairs echo quality. METHODS: In all, 49 patients with 58 episodes of suggested prosthetic endocarditis were prospectively studied using transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography. The patients were divided into two groups: group A, patients with 34 episodes of definite endocarditis according to Durack's criteria; and group B, patients with 24 episodes who were eventually classified as not having endocarditis, either by surgical exploration or by a mean of 32.6 months (range: 8-38 months) of follow-up. RESULTS: In group A, valve dehiscence was observed in 4 episodes of suggested endocarditis, pseudoaneurysms in 3, fistulae in 2, and moderate to severe perivalvular regurgitation in 15. No patient in group B had these abnormalities (P <.001). Vegetations were present in 17 episodes in group A (50%) versus 1 in group B (9%; P <.001); perivalvular abscesses were seen in 19 episodes in group A (56%) versus 1 in group B (P <.001). Mild perivalvular regurgitation was observed in only 1 episode for group A (3%) and in 14 episodes for group B (58%; P <.01). The presence of any of the above echocardiographic finding, when used in combination with the exclusion of mild perivalvular regurgitation, had a positive and negative predictive value for diagnosing endocarditis of 94% and 96%, respectively. Isolated mild perivalvular regurgitation had a poor positive predictive value (6%). CONCLUSION: Isolated mild perivalvular regurgitation should not be used as diagnostic criteria in patients with suggested prosthetic valve endocarditis.     

Fetal endocarditis in left atrial isomerism - a case report.

We report a case of fetal endocarditis coexisting with a congenital heart defect: a common atrium (left atrial isomerism) with complete congenital heart block. The case was studied by echocardiography from 32 to 39 weeks of gestation. A postmortem examination was carried out a few hours after Cesarean section. The autopsy, histopathological and immunohistochemical findings revealed endocarditis. We think that abnormal turbulent systolic and diastolic flow of the semilunar valve, seen in fetal Doppler echocardiography, may be a sign of fetal endocarditis even though clear evidence of vegetations were not seen.     

Utility of Contrast Echocardiography in the Diagnosis of Aortic Dissection

Determination of ascending aortic involvement in aortic dissection has significant implications in prognosis, immediate surgical referral, and surgical approach. We report 2 cases of the use of an echo contrast agent in enhancing the diagnostic capability of transesophageal echocardiography in suspected ascending aortic dissection. Contrast echocardiography eliminated the linear artifacts often confused with true dissection flaps and allowed easy identification of the presence of true and false lumina. (J Am Soc Echocardiogr 1999;12:155-9.)     

Left ventricle-to-ascending aorta communication complicating composite graft repair undetected by aortography: diagnosis by transesophageal echocardiography.

A 57-year-old man underwent composite ascending aortic conduit and prosthetic aortic valve repair of a sinus of Valsalva aneurysm. The patient's course was complicated by recurrent aneurysm formation caused by a communication between the left ventricular outflow tract and the ascending aorta outside the conduit. Transesophageal echocardiography documented the anatomic and functional characteristics of this complication, whereas aortography failed to demonstrate them. Findings at surgery confirmed the transesophageal echocardiogram results of a left ventricular outflow tract to aorta communication, a normal prosthetic aortic valve, and an intact distal anastomosis of the conduit with the aorta. Transesophageal echocardiography is a useful modality for the evaluation of composite graft repairs of the aortic valve and ascending aorta.     

Pulmonary valve endocarditis: improved diagnosis with biplane transesophageal echocardiography.

Pulmonary valve endocarditis is an uncommon disease. Improved visualization of the pulmonary valve on the longitudinal views provided by biplane transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) improves the diagnostic utility of TEE in pulmonary valve endocarditis. We report three cases of isolated pulmonary valve endocarditis diagnosed with biplanar TEE.