Right ventricular compression observed in echocardiography from pectus excavatum deformity.

Pectus excavatum exists as varying anatomic deformities and compression of the right heart by the chest wall can lead to patient symptoms including dyspnea and chest pain with exertion. Echocardiography can be difficult but is critical to the evaluation and diagnosis of this patient population. Modifying standard views such as biplane transthoracic and 3-D transesophageal views may be necessary in some patients due to limitations from the abnormal anatomy of the deformed anterior chest wall.

Effect of positional changes on inferior vena cava size.

Aim: To study the effect of positional change on inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter. The influence of positional change on IVC size is not well studied. Although the American Society of Echocardiography guidelines for chamber quantification recommend imaging the IVC in the left lateral position, many labs routinely image the IVC from the supine position.

Fatal migratory pulmonary thromboembolism following successful pericardiocentesis.

Echocardiography-guided pericardiocentesis is relatively safe with minimal risk in experienced hands. However, complications can occur because of the procedure. This report describes a unique case of an 84-year-old man with unanticipated fatal pulmonary thromboembolism following a successful pericardiocentesis.

Critical appraisal on the utility of echocardiography in the management of acute pulmonary embolism.

Echocardiography can be used for rapid and accurate risk stratification of patients with pulmonary embolism to appropriately direct the therapeutic strategies for those at high risk. Echocardiography is an ideal risk stratification tool in this regard because of its easy portability to the emergency room or to the bed side. It can be performed at a relatively low cost and at no risk to the patient.

Evaluation of right ventricular global and regional function during stress echocardiography using novel velocity vector imaging.

Aims: This study tested the feasibility of velocity vector imaging (VVI) analysis to quantitatively assess right ventricular (RV) function during stress echocardiography (SE).

Methods And Results: We prospectively enrolled 73 patients (treadmill 38, dobutamine 35) undergoing SE using an Acuson C512 ultrasound system. The RV ejection fraction was measured for global RV function.

Liquefaction necrosis of calcified mitral annulus.

Echogenicity within the left atrioventricular groove can be due to many conditions, such as mitral annular calcification, abscess, dilated coronary sinus, and aneurysm of the left circumflex coronary artery. However, in a patient who has no systemic symptoms, a bright, round echodensity with central echolucency and smooth borders in the mitral annulus is characteristic of liquefaction necrosis of a calcified mitral annulus. We report the occurrence of this rare manifestation in a 60-year-old patient who presented with myocardial infarction.