Three-Dimensional Transesophageal Echocardiography in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Mitral Prosthetic Valve Endocarditis-A Narrative Review.

Despite advances in diagnosis, imaging methods, and medical and surgical interventions, prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) remains an extremely serious and potentially fatal complication of heart valve surgery. Characteristic changes of PVE are more difficult to detect by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) than those involving the native valve. We reviewed advances in transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in the diagnosis of PVE.