Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography : official publication of the American Society of Echocardiography
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Mar 2005
Combined transesophageal echocardiography and transesophageal cardioversion probe: technical aspects.
A probe assembly for simultaneous transesophageal echocardiography and transesophageal cardioversion has been developed. This probe allows cardioversion with the delivery of much lower energy than the standard external approach. Details of the probe construction and its use are described, as is the prospect for future practice. The use of a combined probe may be the technique of choice for patients who require both cardioversion and transesophageal echocardiography.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Mar 2005
Case ReportsMyofibroblastic sarcoma of mitral valve: a case report.
We report a patient with symptoms of congestive heart failure whose workup revealed a myofibroblastic sarcoma of mitral valve.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Mar 2005
Left atrial appendage assessment by second harmonic transthoracic echocardiography after an acute ischemic neurologic event.
Although second harmonic (sh) imaging is widely available in most contemporary ultrasound systems, its accuracy to evaluate left atrial appendage (LAA) morphology and function remains poorly characterized. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of patients with acute ischemic neurologic conditions (n = 51) who underwent both transesophageal and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) to explore the performance of sh in LAA assessment. Doppler and LAA area evaluation by sh TTE were feasible in most patients (98%). ⋯ In addition, all patients (n = 7) with LAA thrombus or spontaneous contrast had peak emptying velocities less than 50 cm/s on sh TTE (negative predictive value of 100%). In multivariate analysis, LAA peak emptying velocity remained independently associated with LAA thrombus or contrast. In conclusion, sh TTE can provide valuable and clinically relevant information of LAA morphology and dynamics.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Mar 2005
Case ReportsCalcified right ventricular mass and pulmonary embolism in a previously healthy young woman.
A 20-year-old woman with a recent episode of pulmonary embolism was found by echocardiographic examination to have a calcified apical right ventricular intracavitary mass. She had a history of cigarette smoking and had been taking oral contraceptive pills. At age 17 years, she had sustained substantial blunt chest injury during a motor vehicle accident. ⋯ It is postulated that its development was related to cardiac trauma. These intracavitary masses have been referred to as cardiac calcified amorphous tumors and generally represent old organized and focally calcified mural thrombus. They should be distinguished from calcified benign or malignant neoplasms of the heart.