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Purpose: To analyse the utility of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) as a complementary technique to transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) comparing results and additional informations., Methods: One hundred and thirty consecutive outpatients (66 male) submitted to TEE, with age ranging from 12 to 84 years were studied. Patients were grouped according to the main indication: evaluation of prosthetic valves, 21 patients; cardiac source of emboli, 43; diseases of the aorta, 17; infective endocarditis, 14; congenital heart diseases, 14 and other abnormalities in 21 patients., Results: TEE provided additional and important information in all groups. Perivalvular leakage was observed in 42.1% of patients with prosthetic valves. Vegetations were detected in 45.5% of the suspected cases of endocarditis (missed by TTE). Dissection of aorta was diagnosed in 35.2% of patients with suspected disease and atrial septal defect was successfully recognized in 80% of the cases. No complications were observed., Conclusion: TEE is a safe and usefull complementary non-invasive diagnostic tool in the assessment of structures such as left atrium, left atrial appendage, thoracic aorta, prosthetic valves and in the investigation of infective endocarditis.

In order to evaluate major Doppler-Echocardiographic parameters for the diagnosis of acute cardiac allograft rejection episodes a serial of 54 Doppler Echocardiograms were performed simultaneously with endomyocardial biopsy in five patients (mean age = 40.2 y/o). Measurements included: right and left chambers diameters, left ventricular (LV) myocardial diastolic thickness, LV systolic function parameters, LV mass, LV volume/mass ratio, LV isovolumic relaxation time, mitral flow peak velocities and pressure half-time. Episodes with acute rejection histopathologic findings, Billingham class III or IV, were associated to increase in LV free wall thickness and LV mass (p less than 0,005) as well as decreased isovolumic relaxation time and pressure half-time (p less than 0,001). Left ventricular systolic function parameters and heart rate were no different comparing rejection and no rejection episodes. However, in each patient, progressive lower values of LV ejection fraction were associated to higher incidence of acute rejection episodes. Isovolumic relaxation time increased promptly following immunosuppressive therapy. Thus, Doppler Echocardiography is a reliable method for early detection of acute cardiac allograft rejection and monitoring of the cardiac transplant recipient.