3-DIMENSIONAL RECONSTRUCTION OF TRANSESOPHAGEAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC LONGITUDINAL IMAGES

Using longitudinal transesophageal echocardiography and the concept of three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography, we performed three- dimensional reconstruction of transesophageal images of various clinic o-pathologic cases, including atrial septal defect, mitral stenosis, m itral valve prolapse, and pulmonary stenosis. The hardware equipment a nd image processing flow chart of three-dimensional reconstruction of transesophageal echocardiographic images are described in this manuscr ipt. Our present. study indicates that three-dimensional reconstructio n of transesophageal echocardiographic images could display multiregio nal three-dimensional structure of the heart and great vessels, includ ing superior vena cava, ascending aorta, right ventricular outflow tra ct, pulmonary artery, and left heart, with clear, visual and stereosco pic imaging. The regional structures could be displayed at different l evels of stereo-anatomic sections and at different orientations of rot ating stereo images, which could provide accurate three-dimensional an atomical information. for cardiac stereo-morphological study and defin ition of spatial location and extent of cardiac abnormalities.