Diagnostic accuracy of transesophageal echocardiography for detecting patent ductus arteriosus in adolescents and adults.

To compare the accuracy of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) with that of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in the detection of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in the adolescent and the adult, 40 patients with PDA and 50 patients with other congenital heart diseases were studied. All echocardiograms were recorded before cardiac catheterization and surgery. The echocardiographic diagnosis of PDA was made by direct visualization of a shunt flow in the duct. A mosaic flow in the pulmonary artery without direct visualization of the duct was considered possible but not definitely diagnostic of PDA. TEE showed greater sensitivity and negative predictive value than TTE (97% vs 42%, and 98% vs 68%, respectively; p < 0.001) in confirming the diagnosis of PDA. The specificity and positive predictive value in establishing the diagnosis of PDA were the same for both techniques. In the subgroup of patients with Eisenmenger's syndrome, the sensitivity of TEE and TTE in confirming diagnosis of PDA was 100% and 12% (p < 0.01), respectively. The sensitivity of monoplane and biplane TEE in the diagnosis of PDA was comparable (95% and 100%, respectively; p = NS). In conclusion, TEE was highly sensitive and specific in detecting PDA in adolescents and adults. It was also highly valuable for detecting the cause of pulmonary hypertension in patients with Eisenmenger's syndrome.