Transesophageal Echocardiographic Visualization of Leaflet Destruction in Two Patients with Suspected Endocarditis

We report two cases of nonvegetant endocarditis, one with a perforated mitral valve aneurysm, the other with a perforated aortic leaflet. In both cases, the diagnosis of perforation was not made by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography but by transesophageal Doppler echocardiography. Transesophageal echocardiography is particularly useful in the context of nonvegetant endocarditis for a rapid diagnosis because an urgent surgical treatment may possibly be needed. (ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY, Volume 8, May 1991)