Intracardiac echocardiography: evolving use in interventional cardiology.

Intracardiac echocardiography (ICE) uses a catheter-based steerable ultrasound probe that is passed into the right heart chambers to image intracardiac structures. The transducer can be variably positioned for optimal imaging: in the inferior vena cava to visualize the abdominal aorta; in the right atrium for the interatrial septum, aortic, mitral, and tricuspid valves, and pulmonary veins; or in the right ventricle for the left ventricular function, outflow tract, or pulmonary artery. Intracardiac echocardiography is primarily used for imaging during an invasive cardiac procedure using conscious sedation, when transthoracic image quality would likely be inadequate, and transesophageal imaging would require general anesthesia. Intracardiac echocardiography is generally well tolerated and provides adequate images and sufficient information for the procedure performed. In the cardiac catheterization laboratory, ICE is routinely used for patent foramen ovale, atrial septal defect, and ventricular septal defect closures, allowing adequate percutaneous placement of septal occluders. It is now being considered in the current era of transcatheter aortic valve implantation necessitating improved imaging approaches for accurate placement. It is also routinely used for trans-septal punctures during mitral valvuloplasty and, more recently, with the advent of left atrial appendage closure devices. This article provides a comprehensive review of the current technology for ICE and its growing applications in the realm of interventional cardiology.

A new risk model of assessing left atrial appendage thrombus in patients with atrial fibrillation - Using multiple clinical and transesophageal echocardiography parameters.

BACKGROUNDS: Predicting left atrial appendage thrombus (LAAT) in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients need more precisely quantified risk models. In this study, we attempted to review the risk markers for LAAT and develop a simple and reliable model for LAAT prediction. METHODS: The study included 307 patients with NVAF who were scheduled for transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) to exclude LAA thrombus before synchronized electrical cardioversion or radiofrequency ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). We analyzed the relationship between echo, clinical parameters and the presence or absence of LAAT. RESULTS: A total of 33 patients were found having LAAT (10.7%, 33/307). The age, left atrial appendage emptying velocity (LAAEV), left atrial or left atrial appendage spontaneous echocardiographic contrast (SEC), less than moderate to severe mitral regurgitation (≤mild MR), and left atrial enlargement showed association with LAAT. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that LAAEV, SEC and ≤mild MR were independent risk factors of the LAAT. We used LAAEV ≤ 21.5 cm/s, SEC and ≤mild MR to construct a combined predictive model for LAAT in NVAF patients (the area under receiver operator characteristic curve: 0.88; 95% confidence interval: 0.82-0.95, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: Comprehensive evaluation of LAAEV, SEC, and MR with associated LAAT may help risk stratifying the NVAF patients, especially if the LAA imaging quality was suboptimal for identifying thrombus. These parameters may facilitate the decision-making process at the time of TEE.

Regional cardiac tamponade resulting in hypoxia from acute right to left inter-atrial shunting.

Loculated pericardial effusion, as a cause of acute hypoxia, is an unusual finding. Here, we describe the case of a patient who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention, complicated by a localized pericardial hematoma compressing the right atrium, resulting in right to left shunting of blood through a patent foramen ovale and subsequent hypoxia. Evacuation of the hematoma was eventually performed via a pericardial window with resolution of hypoxia.