Table 5. Differences between Echocardiography and MDCT in detecting IE changes.

Echocardiography	MDCT
High spatial resolution	High spatial resolution
High sensitivity and specificity	Able to detect perivalvular lesion (abscess-pseudoaneurysm)
Permits evaluation of Jet, shunt and transvalvular gradient	Permits to evaluate annular and leaflet bulky calcium
Bedside	Able to evaluate aortic root and coronary arteries
Able to detect perforation of leaflet or cusps	Allows tricuspidalic anulus and leaflet imaging
Permits to plan cardiac surgery	Evaluate extracardiac structures
Allows percutaneous reparation of leaks (Figure 5)
Without RX ray or contrast agent

MDCT, multi-detector computed tomography; IE, infective endocarditis.