Clinical applications of intracardiac echocardiography in interventional procedures.

Correspondence to: Dr Jeroen J Bax, Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands; [email protected] _________________________ A ccurate knowledge of the anatomy of intracardiac structures is essential for the efficiency and safety of performing interventional procedures. Although fluoroscopy is an important aid while advancing catheters in the heart, it is not sufficient to supply accurate anatomical information on the position of veins, ridges, and septa in the heart. Furthermore radiation exposure forms a risk to both the patient and the operator. Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) is a promising technique for imaging of intracardiac structures, and may serve as an alternative for the transoesophageal approach, which is semiinvasive and requires anaesthesiology. The introduction of ICE catheters with low frequencies allows accurate visualisation of intracardiac anatomical structures with an ultrasound catheter placed exclusively in the right side of the heart. This report focuses on the use of ICE in guiding percutaneous interventional procedures.