TRANSESOPHAGEAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY IN ADULTS WITH CONGENITAL CARDIOPATHIES

Eighty-seven adult patients with congenital cardiopathy were studied b y using transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) over a period of 30 mon ths. Transthoracic echocardiography was practiced on all patients, aft er which TEE with monoplanar and biplanar probes (74 and 15 patients, respectively) was used to confirm principal diagnoses and determine sp ecific information. TEE findings were compared with those of cardiac c atheterization in all 87 cases and with those of surgery in 15 cases. Dextrocardia was found in 11 cares and mesocardia in 2. Situs inversus was demonstrated in 6 and levoisomerism in 4. Intracardiac and extrac ardiac shunts were diagnosed in 20 cases, Ebstein's anomaly in 27, cor rected transposition of great vessels in 15, univentricular atrioventr icular connection in 7, cor triatriatum in 1, parachute mitral valve i n 1, crisscross heart in 1, and double-outlet left atrium in 1. TEE wa s of particular value in evaluating total anomalous pulmonary venous c onnection, common atrioventricular canal, Ebstein's anomaly, corrected transposition of great vessels, and univentricular atrioventricular c onnection and in diagnosis of the rarer congenital cardiopathies.