Cardiothoracic & vascular anesthesia
Anatomic Profiles Related to Transesophageal Echocardiographic Probe Insertion: A Retrospective Computed Tomographic Analysis
Authors' conclusion
CT imaging has demonstrated that the esophageal inlet lies posterior to the larynx in nearly all patients.
Study context
- Population
- Patients undergoing intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) with preoperative computed tomography (CT) including the cervical region, single centre in Japan, 2023–2025
- Participants
- 180 consecutive patients
Methodological detailsCT-based, single-centre, consecutive patients
- CT-based
- Single-centre
- Consecutive patients
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- Inlet orientation angle, mean (range −17.8° to +33.3°)
- +2.9°
- Posterior inlet
- 179 of 180 (99.4%)
- Posterolateral inlet
- 1
- Lateral inlet
- 0
- Retrocricoid space, mean (range 1.4 to 13.4 mm)
- 6.3 mm
- Retrocricoid space narrower than TEE probe shaft diameter (<10 mm)
- in most patients
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Additional CT findings
- Calcification of posterior cricoid lamina
- 7.8%
- Unilateral vertebral protrusion
- 3.3%
- Spinous bony projections
- 2.8%
Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.
Original publication
Anatomic Profiles Related to Transesophageal Echocardiographic Probe Insertion: A Retrospective Computed Tomographic Analysis. J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth. Published 23 December 2025. doi:10.
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