[The role of transesophageal echocardiography in atrial septal defect detected in adults].

Unlabelled: To assess the value of combined transesophageal echocardiography (TE) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in the preoperative evaluation of atrial septal defect (ASD) 59 consecutive patients (aged 15-62, mean 38 yrs) with clinically or echocardiographically suspected ASD underwent TE and complete noninvasive hemodynamic study by TTE. ASD was found by TE in 48: fossa ovalis (FO) type in 36, sinus venosus (SV) type in 11 and primum type in 1. For FO and SV defect the sensitivity of clinical judgement was 83 and 0%, the specificity 39 and 100% resp.

[Clinical use of transesophageal echocardiography].

Transoesophageal echocardiography (TE) presents a new window in echocardiography. Experience obtained in the first 70 TE studies performed in 66 patients is reported. The patients' age ranged between 15 and 75 years, there were 36 females and 30 males.

[Diagnosis of femoral pseudoaneurysm using 2-dimensional and Doppler echography].

Femoral artery pseudoaneurysm was found by combined 2D, pulsed and continuous wave Doppler echography in 10 out of 16 patients with hematoma formation following cardiac catheterization. The typical features included an echofree area communicating with the femoral artery through a narrow neck. There was a low velocity systolic flow in the pseudoaneurysm and a high velocity systolic and reverse diastolic flow in the neck.

[Constrictive pericarditis as a late complication of heart operations].

Constrictive pericarditis is a rare complication of previous cardiac surgery, the rate of incidence being approximately 0.1 to 0.3%.