Use of transesophageal echocardiography and contrast echocardiography in the evaluation of cardiac masses.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether the combination of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and contrast echocardiography (CE) accurately diagnose suspected cardiac masses using large sample data.

METHODS: Patients with cardiac masses undergoing surgical treatment were enrolled in this study. Routine transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and TEE examinations were carried out, and CE examinations were carried out when needed. All patients' clinical data and imaging features were retrospectively reviewed. Surgery and histopathology served as the gold standard for diagnosing cardiac masses.

RESULTS: A total of 252 consecutive patients were included in this study. Sixteen patients were lost to follow-up and were excluded from the study. The combinations of TEE and CE yielded the correct pathologic diagnosis in 225 of 230 patients (97.8%), while CT yielded the correct pathologic diagnosis in 122 of 141 patients (86.5%), p<0.01. TEE yielded the correct pathologic diagnosis in 219 of 226 patients (96.9%), and CE yielded the correct pathologic diagnosis in 45 of 48 patients (93.8%). TTE alone yielded the correct pathologic diagnosis in 163 of 236 patients (69.1%), p<0.001 for all. TEE imaging provided detailed and precise information regarding cardiovascular morphology, anatomy, hemodynamics and function, and CE provided information regarding tissue characteristics without subjecting patients to radiation exposure.

CONCLUSIONS: The combination of TEE and CE is feasible for the detection of suspected cardiac masses, especially in diagnosing and differentiating between benign and malignant lesions.