Giornale italiano di cardiologia
-
Comparative Study
[Value of biplane transesophageal echocardiography in congenital abnormalities of the heart atrium and venous-atrial connection].
Transesophageal echocardiography with transversal planes offers many advantages in the evaluation of patients with congenital anomalies of atrium, allowing visualization of obscure areas, not visualized with traditional echocardiography, as appendages, venous connections, upper interatrial defects. The aim of this paper is to check what advantages the transesophageal imaging in longitudinal plane, recently insert in biplane probes, might confer over transversal plane imaging in the evaluation of patients with congenital heart disease of atrium and venous connections. ⋯ Thus we conclude that both planes are required for optimal transesophageal evaluation of congenital disease of atrium and venous connection.
-
A case of severe tricuspid insufficiency with ruptured chordae tendineae due to nonpenetrating major chest trauma caused by a car accident is described. Electrocardiographic signs of complete right bundle branch block and olosystolic murmur were present and not observed before. Transthoracic echocardiography showed a significant prolapse of the septal tricuspid leaflet with severe tricuspid regurgitation and severe right heart overload, which progressively worsened. ⋯ Although the patient remained asymptomatic, these findings prompted us to refer the case to the surgeon. The patient underwent valvuloplasty with excellent late result. In presence of traumatic tricuspid insufficiency the use of transesophageal echocardiography can be helpful to optimize the anatomic evaluation of the valvular apparatus allowing adequate therapeutic decision.