Identification of intrathoracic lymph nodes by transesophageal echocardiography - A novel role of TEE

Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) offers an excellent view of the heart and the descending aorta because of the close anatomic relationship between the esophagus and the heart and the absence of obstructing tissues common to the transthoracic approach. TEE is considered the procedure of choice in evaluating aortic diseases. As illustrated in this example, it may also be used to evaluate para-aortic pathology. We present a TEE example of large hilar lymphadenopathy that was directly compared with computed tomography (CT) scanning to provide additional clarification of this anatomic relationship for the echocardiographer. A brief review of the literature is also included.