# Leveraging Color M-Mode to Diagnose Aorto-Atrial Fistula as a Complication of Infective Endocarditis

## TL;DR

This paper discusses how color M-mode on echocardiography can help diagnose a rare heart condition caused by infective endocarditis.

## Contribution

The paper introduces the use of color M-mode as a diagnostic tool for aorto-atrial fistulas in infective endocarditis.

## Key findings

- Color M-mode provided improved temporal resolution for diagnosing aorto-atrial fistulas.
- A case demonstrated successful detection of a fistula using this technique.

## Abstract

Aorto-atrial fistula is a rare and life-threatening complication of infective endocarditis, classically diagnosed by visualizing a connection between the aorta and atrium with associated continuous flow. A patient presented with bioprosthetic and native valve enterococcal endocarditis with multiple complications, including an aorto-atrial fistula that was diagnosed by color M-mode on transesophageal echocardiography. We review the features of aorto-atrial fistula and utilize this case to demonstrate how M-mode can be leveraged to provide improved temporal resolution in the setting of diagnostic uncertainty.