Clinical usefulness of multiplane transesophageal echocardiography: comparison to biplanar imaging.

The increased diagnostic usefulness of multiplane over biplane transesophageal echocardiography has not yet been conclusively determined. In this study the diagnostic yield of multiplanar and biplanar imaging was compared blindly by using the information content obtained from multiplane transesophageal echocardiography to that derived from biplanar type of imaging planes available in the multiplane echocardiography recordings in 80 patients with a variety of cardiac disorders. Among these patients 9 new abnormalities were identified by multiplane transesophageal echocardiography in 8 patients. Multiplane imaging yielded better delineation of 40 various lesions in 31 patients. Thus multiplane transesophageal echocardiography has a greater diagnostic yield than biplane imaging by depicting more lesions in 10% of patients and by enhanced delineation of the extent of pathologic characteristics in 39% of patients. This versatility, coupled with the ease of obtaining a vast assembly of imaging planes without undue probe manipulations, makes multiplane transesophageal echocardiography more useful than biplanar imaging.