BACKGROUND: Transesophageal echocardiography is superior to transthoracic echocardiography in detecting left-sided valvular vegetations. There are no data on the value of transesophageal echocardiography in the diagnosis of infected transvenous permanent pacemakers. METHODS AND RESULTS: Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography was performed in 10 patients for whom there was clinical suspicion of infected permanent transvenous pacemakers. Transthoracic echocardiography detected pacemaker lead vegetations in 2 patients, whereas transesophageal echocardiography visualized pacemaker lead vegetations in 7 patients. Surgical confirmation was obtained in 6 of these 7 patients. Most patients had more than one pacemaker electrode in place. Local complications at the generator pocket were present in 6 patients. Staphylococcus was the predominant causative organism. CONCLUSIONS: Transesophageal echocardiography is superior to transthoracic echocardiography in the detection of pacemaker lead vegetations.
BACKGROUND: Transesophageal echocardiography is superior to transthoracic echocardiography in detecting left-sided valvular vegetations. There are no data on the value of transesophageal echocardiography in the diagnosis of infected transvenous permanent pacemakers. METHODS AND RESULTS: Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography was performed in 10 patients for whom there was clinical suspicion of infected permanent transvenous pacemakers. Transthoracic echocardiography detected pacemaker lead vegetations in 2 patients, whereas transesophageal echocardiography visualized pacemaker lead vegetations in 7 patients. Surgical confirmation was obtained in 6 of these 7 patients. Most patients had more than one pacemaker electrode in place. Local complications at the generator pocket were present in 6 patients. Staphylococcus was the predominant causative organism. CONCLUSIONS: Transesophageal echocardiography is superior to transthoracic echocardiography in the detection of pacemaker lead vegetations.
Authors: Domenico Galzerano; Abdulhalim J Kinsara; Sara Di Michele; Olga Vriz; Bahaa M Fadel; Rita Leonarda Musci; Maurizio Galderisi; Hani Al Sergani; Paolo Colonna Journal: Int J Cardiovasc Imaging Date: 2020-01-04 Impact factor: 2.357