Continuing with 3D TEE assessment of the aortic valve: an example of degenerative left cusp retraction creating a coaptation gap. A high tissue transparency setting is used with optimal gain setting to minimize dropout. Need to always double check with color Doppler!

Normal aortic valve, 3D TEE rendering with low tissue transparency. Note no dropout and crisp coaptation line

3D TEE tips: aortic valve

It is difficult to avoid dropout since aortic leaflets are thin, and beam alignment is not perpendicular

1) Clean up 2D image and acquire the dataset using the short axis
2) Narrow the acquired volume, switch to spatial resolution from balanced
3)

A patient with endocarditis and anterior mitral leaflet perforation, 3D TEE. Transillumination rendering is a great tool to highlight the orifice boundaries, as well as origin of the jet