Abnormal intracavitary dynamic echoes. II. in vivo study
Iliceto, S.; Sorino, M.; Antonelli, G.; Biasco, G.; Rizzon, P.
Giornale Italiano di Cardiologia 14(3): 199-205
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0046-5968 PMID: 6735011 Document Number: 229477
Dynamic intracavitary echoes (DIE's) suggesting regional stasis of blood, were detected in 17 patients (pts) (6 with mitral stenosis, 1 with mitral prosthesis, 5 with congestive cardiomyopathy, 5 with left ventricular aneurysm). DIE's were observed in the left atrium in all pts with mitral stenosis and in the patient with a prosthetic valve, in the left ventricle in the remaining pts. In 5 pts a thrombus was detected in the cardiac chamber in which DIE's were observed. In 4 pts direct inspection (at surgery or autopsy) of the cardiac chamber in which DIE's were detected revealed the presence of non-coagulated blood. All pts with DIE's in the left atrium were in atrial fibrillation. In one case with mitral stenosis DIE's disappeared after commissurotomy. DIE's suggesting regional stasis of blood may be detected in pts with clinical conditions characterized by slow cardiac flow; this phenomenon may be caused by red cell aggregation occurring in those conditions.