TEE for infective endocarditis

Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is an established diagnostic tool for patients with endocarditis, but transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has emerged as a more sensitive method of identifying vegetations and detecting complications of endocarditis, including perivalvular abscesses, some types of prosthetic valve dysfunction and intracardiac fistulae. Although the overall diagnostic superiority of TEE to TTE is well-documented, the two tests complement each other, with each capable of providing unique information. The former, therefore, should not be used routinely as a substitute for the latter.

Duke Scholars

Author Robert Andrew Waugh Medicine, Cardiology