Transesophageal echocardiography provides an accurate method for assessing aortic valve area using planimetry, especially when discrepancies exist between transthoracic imaging and catheterization.
How is transesophageal echocardiography used to assess aortic valve area in patients with aortic stenosis?
This review highlights the utility and techniques of transesophageal echocardiography for accurate assessment of aortic valve area in clinical practice.
Noninvasive assessment of aortic valve area by echocardiography has become the standard of practice over the past few years. The advent of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has provided a new method for the assessment of aortic valve area (AVA) using planimetry by two-dimensional imaging. Clear visualization of the anatomy of the valve, as well as accuracy of AVA assessment, makes TEE an invaluable tool for the evaluation of aortic valve stenosis. TEE is especially helpful in clinical settings when there is a discrepancy between the AVA obtained by transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac catheterization. TEE is particularly helpful in the assessment of the aortic valve during intraoperative echocardiography. This review discusses the techniques, imaging planes, and details for assessing AVA by TEE. The role of TEE in AVA assessment is described, with specific clinical case examples cited.
Naqvi et al. (Fri,) conducted a review in Aortic valve stenosis. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was evaluated. Transesophageal echocardiography provides an accurate method for assessing aortic valve area using planimetry, especially when discrepancies exist between transthoracic imaging and catheterization.