[Transthoracic and transesophageal 2-D echocardiography in the diagnosis of peri- and paracardiac tumors].

Twelve consecutive patients (five males and seven females, aged 24-61 years) with peri- or paracardial space-occupying lesions were studied by transthoracic and transesophageal 2-D echocardiography (2-DE). The tumor was localized by transthoracic 2-DE in six patients. In four patients the lesion was suspected after transthoracic 2-DE, but only transesophageal 2-DE defined the tumor and separated it from surrounding tissues. In two cases of pericardial tumor transthoracic 2-DE at first misdiagnosed it as pericarditis with pericardial effusion. In eight patients transthoracic and in four transesophageal 2-DE made it possible to assess cardiac function. The findings demonstrate that transthoracic 2-DE may not demonstrate peri- or paracardial tumors; transesophageal 2-DE adds an at times decisive additional diagnostic method.