What is the significance of TTE in the diagnosis of IE?
TTE is used to identify very-high-risk patients, establish the diagnosis in many, and guide early treatment decisions. Although TTE will not definitively exclude vegetations or abscesses, it can provide information to help guide further diagnosis and treatment. Concurrent TTE images can serve as a baseline for rapid and noninvasive comparison of vegetation size, valvular insufficiency, or change in abscess cavities during the course of the patient's treatment should clinical deterioration occur.