Right atrial angiosarcoma causing a coronary artery fistula: Diagnosis by transesophageal echocardiography

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Jury 1993 American Heart Journal

Sherman et al.

Ordinarily, surgical intervention would be indicated for persistent bacteremia despite high-dose, appropriate antibiotic therapy. Because t h e family refused surgery, this case may illustrate the echocardiographic natural history of acute bacterial endocarditis. Although the specificity of T E E and T T E for the diagnosis of valvular vegetations is similar, T E E is much more sensitive than T T E . In a study by Erbel et al.,^° the sensitivity of T E E compared with T T E was 100% versus 64%. Large vegetations (>10 mm) were visualized equally by using both techniques. For moderate sized (5 to 10 mm) and small (