In recent years, with an increasing number of central venous access procedures and cardiac implantable electronic device implantation, the incidence of infective endocarditis (IE) has become more prevalent. Two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (2D-TTE) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) are a key part of the evaluation of IE, but advances in three-dimensional echocardiography have enabled a better spatial resolution and visualization of cardiac structures, allowing the identification of any valvular vegetations, abscesses, or nodules. Herein, we report the usefulness of 3D-TEE in a difficult diagnosis of hemodialysis catheter endocarditis hidden in intracaval stent.
Keywords: Cardiac implantable electronic device; hemodialysis catheter endocarditis; infective endocarditis; lead-dependent infective endocarditis; three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography.