Three-dimensional imaging of the heart using transesophageal echocardiography

Three dimensional transesophageal echocardiography could enhance image perception and interpretation. The authors report their experience with an echo-based computer tomography unit which uses a novel TEE-probe to acquire a cubic data set. Rendering algorithms such as grayscale-, distance-, and gradient shadings are applied to perform 3 dimensional images of the heart. The authors´ experience in 84 patients with a wide spectrum of cardiac disease entities such as cardiac masses, valve pathologies and congenital malformations shows that 3D echocardiography is feasible and enhances image interpretation by providing spatial clues not readily available with conventional 2D echocardiography