We describe a 77-year-old female with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in whom live/real time three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (3DTEE) provided incremental value over two-dimensional transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography (2DTTE, 2DTEE) and three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (3DTTE) in making a more comprehensive assessment and a more confident diagnosis of caseous mitral annular calcification. 3DTEE revealed a portion of the mass to consist of small, multiple, highly echogenic discrete band-like and punctate areas within a relatively much less echogenic stroma and surrounded by a well defined highly echogenic border. This appearance correlated with the pathological findings of calcific granules/strands located in a liquefied or semiliquefied interior providing a typical toothpaste like appearance. The highly echogenic outer border represented the residual outer portion or rim of the calcific mass which did not undergo liquefaction. These findings on 3DTEE which correlated with the toothpaste like appearance seen at surgery were not visualized on 2DTTE, 2DTEE, and 3DTTE.

We report a young patient with post traumatic acquired thoracic aortic coarctation in whom three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (3DTTE) demonstrated incremental value over two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography (2DTTE). 3DTTE showed (1) en face views of the obstruction site that showed a markedly narrowed, roughly circular orifice measuring 0.33 cm(2) in area, (2) echogenic tissue encroaching on the graft lumen consistent with fibrosis/thrombus, and (3) no graft protrusion into the aortic lumen, only hypermobility of the medial portion of the graft. These important findings were not detected by 2DTTE.