6533b82dfe1ef96bd1291398

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Fragment reconstruction of coronary arteries using transesophageal echocardiography for coronary diagnostics

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Aims Ultrasound differs procedurally from the established methods for non-invasive coronary visualization and is therefore an interesting alternative for non-invasive diagnostics. In this study, fragment reconstruction of coronary arteries by transesophageal echocardiography (FRC-TEE) was investigated for the first time in a patient population being evaluated for coronary angiography. Methods and results Ultrasonic and angiographic findings were compared visually and using quantitative measurements in 50 patients. One hundred and seventy-one vessels were examined by FRC-TEE. The total lengths visualized were 9.6+ 1.7 cm for the right coronary artery, 7.0+ 1.1 cm for left circumflex, 3.9+ 1.2 cm for left anterior descending (LAD), and 1.5+ 0.8 cm for the left main coronary artery. There was high concordance between results of both procedures. Sixty-three stenoses were detected using FRC-TEE. The mean difference in degree of stenosis between techniques was 0.2+ 5.1%. Stents could be visualized in 19 segments. FRC-TEE detected distal stenoses of the coronary arteries to only a limited extent: 14 stenoses and 2 stents, predominantly in the LAD artery (n ¼ 13), were not identified. Conclusions FRC-TEE is a potential method for diagnosing coronary artery disease. FRC-TEE and angiography yield comparable findings during the evaluation of coronary lesions. Further investigations are needed to verify the encouraging findings and define FRC-TEE’s applications.