The aim of work: To assess the diagnostic accuracy and clinical significance of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in the diagnosis of atrial tumors. The authors own experiences with use of TEE images in the assessment of atrial tumors are reported.
Patients and methods: The study group consisted of 18 consecutive patients (9 women and 9 men), age range 40-72 years (mean age 60.5+/-10.1) years. Authors prospectively analyzed the results of 615 TEE in nine-years period (between May 1996 - March 2005).
Results: We detected 16 atrial myxomas in 15 patients, one fibroelastoma, one leiomyosarcoma, and one metastatic adenocarcinoma. The fibroelastoma, leiomyosarcoma, and metastatic carcinoma were found in right atrium. There was no false negative TEE diagnosis, was one false positive diagnosis, yielding a 95% sensitivity and specifity of TEE in detection atrial tumor. Seventeen patients referred for cardiac surgery, and TEE diagnosis was confirmed by pathohistology. Patient with right atrial metastatatic adenocarcinoma is not surgically treated. This patient treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy because pulmonary adenocarcinoma. TTE detected atrial tumor in 15 (83%) patients.
Conclusion: Results of this work suggested that TEE is a safe procedure, high sensitive and specific, and accurate in the diagnosis of atrial tumors. The ability of TEE to visualize both atria with great diagnostic accuracy makes it a very valuable procedure in the detection of atrial tumors.