Transthoracic Echocardiographic Guidance Research Articles

Percutaneous closure of ascending aortic pseudoaneurysm using Amplatzer septal occluder device: The first clinical case report and literature review

We report the first case of the use of an Amplatzer septal occluder device to close a large ascending aortic pseudoaneurysm. The patient had a complex cardiac history with redo coronary artery bypass graft surgery, severe left ventricular dysfunction, and end-stage renal disease requiring hemodialysis. The procedure was successfully performed under fluoroscopic and 2D/3D transthoracic echocardiographic guidance. Six-week follow-up with both transthoracic echocardiography and MRI showed the device was in proper position with complete closure of the pseudoaneurysm.

Transthoracic echocardiographic guidance of transcatheter atrial septal defect closure

This study examines the safety and efficacy of transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) guidance of atrial septal defect (ASD) device closure. We evaluated 74 patients for TTE-guided ASD closure. Fifty-six patients had successful device implantation using TTE guidance. Twelve patients were referred for surgical ASD closure on the basis of TTE evaluation. Five patients with multiple ASDs or poor transthoracic acoustic windows had ASD device closure guided by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE).

Influence of Echocardiographic Guidance on Positioning of the Buttoned Occluder for Transcatheter Closure of Atrial Septal Defects.

Ideal position of the buttoned device for occlusion of atrial septal defects was achieved more often with transesophageal than with transthoracic echocardiographic guidance (10/11 vs 7/23; P = 0.001). Patients with ideal device position were less likely to have residual shunts, device unbuttoning, or atrioventricular valve regurgitation (2/17 vs 11/17; P = 0.002). We therefore recommend the use of transesophageal echocardiography to guide implantation of the buttoned device. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Volume 13, March 1996)

Transesophageal echocardiography‐guided transvenous endomyocardial biopsy used to diagnose primary cardiac angiosarcoma

Primary cardiac tumors are rare clinical entities with the histologic diagnosis usually made from surgically obtained tissue or at postmortem examination. Transvenous endomyocardial biopsy has been used less frequently, under fluoroscopic or transthoracic echocardiographic guidance. In this case report, we utilized the transesophageal echocardiography to guide the endomyocardial biopsy from a right atrial tumor in a 35-year-old man. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.