Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography : official publication of the American Society of Echocardiography
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Apr 2007
Case ReportsDual thrombosis of the pulmonary arterial and venous anastomotic sites after single lung transplantation: role of transesophageal echocardiography in diagnosis and management.
We present the case of a patient who developed severe respiratory and hemodynamic compromise shortly after single right lung transplantation. Transesophageal echocardiography showed a large intraluminal thrombus at the right pulmonary artery anastomosis resulting in severe obstruction to flow together with thrombosis of the right pulmonary veins extending into the left atrium. After thrombectomy and surgical revision of the vascular anastomoses, the patient made an uneventful recovery. This case illustrates the usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography in the diagnosis and treatment of patients who are hemodynamically unstable after lung transplantation.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Apr 2007
Case ReportsA case of platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome in a patient with a pulmonary arteriovenous fistula and a patent foramen ovale.
We describe a case of a rare clinical disorder, platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome. A 57-year-old man was admitted with progressive dyspnea. While breathing room air, arterial oxygen saturation decreased from 92% in a recumbent position to 83% in an upright position. ⋯ A pulmonary angiogram revealed the presence of a pulmonary arteriovenous fistula. The patient underwent embolization of the arteriovenous fistula with subsequent resolution of dyspnea and hypoxemia. Platypnea-orthodeoxia syndrome is rare, and patients with this syndrome require an extensive workup to determine its cause.
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J Am Soc Echocardiogr · Feb 2007
Case ReportsA case of traumatic tricuspid valve regurgitation caused by blunt chest trauma.
A case of severe tricuspid valve regurgitation caused by ruptured chordae tendineae secondary to blunt chest trauma from a motor vehicle accident is described. A transthoracic echocardiogram did not demonstrate these findings, which were clearly visualized on a transesophageal echocardiogram. We propose that patients with blunt chest trauma be considered for transesophageal echocardiography (unless surface images are of high quality) to evaluate not only the tricuspid valve apparatus but to examine other cardiac structures as early (ie, presymptomatic) treatment is preferable.