Guidelines for performing a comprehensive transesophageal echocardiographic examination: Recommendations from the american society of echocardiography and the society of cardiovascular anesthesiologists

摘要

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is a critically important cardiovascular imaging modality. The proximity of the esophagus to much of the heart and great vessels makes it an excellent ultrasonic window, so that TEE provides additional and more accurate information than transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) for some patients, for several specific diagnoses and for many catheter-based cardiac interventions. Esophageal ultrasound was first reported in 1971 to measure flow in the aortic arch. This was followed in 1976 by its use with M-mode echocardiography and then in 1977 by two-dimensional (2D) imaging using a mechanical scanning transducer. The modern era of TEE really began in 1982, with the introduction of flexible probes with phased-array transducers and manipulable tips, initially as a single, horizontally oriented transducer (monoplane), - next as two orthogonally oriented transducers (biplane), and then as adjustable transducers capable of rotating 180° within the tip of the probe (multiplane). More recently, transesophageal echocardiographic probes and systems capable of producing real-time three-dimensional (3D) images have been developed and have achieved wide use.