What are the uses of transthoracic echocardiography?
Transthoracic echocardiography is used to diagnose various conditions such as patent foramen ovale (PFO), papillary fibroelastoma, myxoma, endocarditis, and intracardiac thrombi. It is also used to detect left ventricular (LV) thrombus, left atrial thrombus, aortic atheroma, prosthetic valve abnormalities, native Kleindorfer valve abnormalities, atrial septal abnormalities, and more. Additionally, a systematic review that included 65 studies concluded that transthoracic echocardiography in the second harmonic is cost-effective relative to TEE and that TEE findings will change management in 1 in 7 patients with ESUS. 