Is transesophageal echocardiography necessary before D.C. cardioversion in patients with a normal transthoracic echocardiogram?
PURPOSE: Transesophageal echocardiography has emerged as an accepted approach before D.C. cardioversion for atrial fibrillation. The frequency of atrial thrombi detected on transesophageal echocardiography has varied from 7% to 23%. Many patients undergoing transesophageal echocardiography have had a previous transthoracic echocardiogram. Though transthoracic echocardiography has a low yield for the detection of intracardiac thrombi, it is highly accurate in diagnosing a structurally abnormal heart. The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency of thrombi detected by transesophageal echocardiography in patients with an entirely normal transthoracic echocardiogram and hence the advocacy of a selective approach in performing transesophageal echocardiography in patients undergoing D.C. cardioversion for atrial fibrillation. METHODS: 112 consecutive patients with atrial fibrillation who had undergone transesophageal echocardiography before D.C. cardioversion were evaluated. They al
