TRANSESOPHAGEAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC DIAGNOSIS OF PULMONARY ARTERIOVENOUS MALFORMATION - ROLE OF CONTRAST AND PULSED DOPPLER-ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY

Contrast echocardiography produced by peripheral injection of agitated saline solution is widely used for detecting intracardiac and intrath oracic extracardiac shunts, like pulmonary arteriovenous malformation (PAVM). Currently, localization of PAVM requires pulmonary angiography even after detection by computed tomography of the chest. Pulsed Dopp ler along with contrast echocardiography of the pulmonary veins perfor med during transesophageal echocardiography may aid in the localizatio n of PAVM and in its diagnosis.