[Peculiarities of the transesophageal echocardiography in octogenarian patients].

The growing trend in the absolute and relative number of elderly in the population scheme, the increasing prevalence of heart disease as people get older and the impressive technological development of ultrasound devices have all together recently contributed to promote an increasing number of transesophageal echocardiograms in older patients, however, the already published information about the distinguishing features of this diagnostic methodology in elderly patients is still scarce and seems to be insufficient. This review focuses on the already published methodological and diagnostic features related to the transesophageal echocardiography in the octogenarian -or even older patient- in order to show them in an orderly and systematic manner to provide elements that induce useful clinical criteria for the physician who attends patients in this age group in whom this diagnostic modality is now increasingly requested.

[Spongy cardiomyopathy in an elderly woman. Echocardiographic description].

Isolated left ventricular noncompaction, also known as spongy myocardium or spongy cardiomyopathy, is a recently described congenital disease caused by an arrest in the left ventricular myocardial embriogenesis that makes the ventricular wall to persist thickened with multiple trabecular formations and deep sinusoidal recesses. It is clinically characterized by heart failure, cardiac arrhythmia and systemic embolic events. Most of the affected subjects are detected during childhood or adolescence, others in the adult life but very few elderly patients have been reported in the worldwide medical literature.