Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography versus two-dimensional echocardiography in the diagnosis of left ventricular apical thrombi: preliminary findings

Left ventricular thrombus in ischaemic heart disease: diagnosis, treatment, and gaps of knowledge

Although the management of ischaemic heart disease has markedly improved over the last decades, left ventricular thrombus remains a serious finding in patients with myocardial infarction. Routine diagnostic detection of left ventricular thrombus relies mainly on echocardiography; however, cardiac magnetic resonance has emerged as a method with higher diagnostic accuracy, while cardiac computed tomography angiography represents a valuable alternative modality. To reduce the left ventricular thrombus-associated morbidity and mortality, optimal selection of anticoagulation is warranted after balancing the risk of bleeding. In this review, we will discuss contemporary diagnostic modalities to detect left ventricular thrombus in ischaemic heart disease and summarize evidence on risk stratification and therapy. In addition, we propose a novel diagnosis, follow-up imaging, and treatment algorithm. Further, we identify knowledge gaps at different levels to address emerging research questions and to refine the design of future studies aiming to improve the management of patients in this clinical setting.

Impact of Multimodality Imaging on the Diagnosis of Left Ventricular Apical Thrombus in Patients after Anterior Myocardial Infarction

BACKGROUND

The presence of the left ventricle (LV) apical thrombus is one of the most critical complications of anterior myocardial infarction (MI). Due to the high risk of systemic embolization, the determination of LV apical thrombus (LVAT) is essential. We aimed to compare the two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE), contrast-2DE and real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT-3DE) in the diagnosis of LVAT and determine which imaging modality is superior.

METHODS

The study was designed as a prospective cohort study, and 161 patients were included. Patients with low ejection fraction (<40%) and LV apical wall motion abnormality (severe hypokinetic, akinetic or dyskinetic) were included. 2DE, contrast-2DE, RT-3DE, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed on all patients within one month after anterior MI.

RESULTS

Transthoracic 2DE detected thrombi in 29 patients, contrast-2DE detected thrombi in 33 patients, RT-3DE detected thrombi in 32 patients, and MRI detected thrombi in 28 patients. While MRI is accepted as the gold standard for non-invasive imaging, the specificity of detecting thrombus with 2DE is 90%, and the sensitivity is 57%, contrast-2DE had 82% sensitivity and 92% specificity for the detection of LVAT. The specificity for detecting thrombus with RT-3DE is 93%, and the sensitivity is 85%. Accuracy was 84%, 90% and 92% with 2DE, contrast-2DE and RT-3DE, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that RT-3DE was more sensitive and more specific than 2DE and contrast-2DE in the diagnosis of LVAT. The diagnostic accuracy of RT-3DE was higher than 2DE and contrast-2DE for LVAT.

Contrast echocardiography for assessment of left ventricular thrombi

The diagnosis of intracardiac thrombi remains clinically relevant, with associated risks of systemic embolization and implications for antithrombotic management. Intravenously injected ultrasound contrast agents, composed of microbubbles smaller than red blood cells, have become established essential adjunctive tools for performance of state-of-the-art echocardiography, providing important information on cardiac structure and function. Despite advances in other imaging modalities, echocardiography remains the initial tool for diagnosis and risk stratification in patients predisposed to developing cardiac thrombi. Ultrasound contrast agents are approved for left ventricular (LV) opacification and endocardial border definition. Additionally, the use of contrast echocardiography facilitates LV thrombus detection by providing contrast opacification within the cardiac chambers to clearly show the "filling defect" of an intracardiac thrombus. Furthermore, contrast perfusion echocardiography can provide an assessment of the tissue characteristics of LV masses suspicious for intracardiac thrombi and, by differentiating an avascular thrombus from a tumor, results in improved diagnostic performance of echocardiography. This article presents a clinical vignette highlighting the sound judgment of using contrast echocardiography to aid in the diagnosis of LV thrombi and will review recent advances in imaging modalities for intracardiac thrombus detection.

Personalized echocardiography: clinical applications of advanced echocardiography and future directions

Future cardiology practice will be increasingly individualized, and thus to maintain its central role, echocardiography must keep pushing to expand the boundaries of real-time data acquisition from tissue and fluid motion, and yet still provide efficient and timely data analysis that leads to succinct, clear clinical recommendations tailored to each person in our care. In this article, recent efforts to expand echocardiography techniques into an era of increasingly personalized cardiology, including advances in color-coded tissue Doppler, 3D echocardiography and complex exercise stress echocardiography are described. The common metric for success in each of these efforts is the development of robust and institutionally supportable echocardiography protocols for specific cardiology disease populations that currently may be underdiagnosed and/or undertreated. The common result in each case should be the creation of new guidelines that can supplement the current standard protocols advocated by professional echocardiography organizations.

[Value of cardiac MRI for intraventricular thrombi's diagnosis]

BACKGROUND

Intraventricular thrombosis is a serious event, generally complicating a wide myocardial infarction. It requires an adapted therapy, based on the oral anticoagulants. The diagnosis is generally carried out by trans-thoracic echocardiography but with an insufficient sensitivity and a specificity. In this context, the place of cardiac MRI remains to be explored.

PATIENTS AND METHOD

We carried out a retrospective registry of all cardiac MRI done in our hospital since 2003, for assessment of an intracardiac mass or an cerebral stroke. The aim was to compare the results of cardiac MRI with those of echocardiography and contrast ventriculography.

RESULTS

Our registry includes 26 cases of intraventricular thrombi, confirmed by cardiac MRI. Our results confirm the lack of sensitivity of echocardiography and the ventriculography. The Kappa correlation coefficient of echocardiography and ventriculography, with respect to the MRI, are very weak, respectively of -0.08 and 0.16.

CONCLUSIONS

The values of echocardiography and contrast ventriculography seem limited. The realization of a complementary cardiac MRI must be recommended as often as possible in case of doubt or high risk disease.

Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography: an update

Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (RT3DE) is the only on-line 3D method based on real-time volumetric scanning, as compared with other 3D imaging techniques such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, which are based on post-acquisition reconstruction and not on volumetric scanning. In recent years, several studies have revealed possible advantages of 3DE in daily clinical practice. The aim of this manuscript is to give a brief review of the development of the clinical applications of RT3DE.

Usefulness of Real-time 3-Dimensional Echocardiography for the Evaluation of Coronary Artery Morphology in Patients with Kawasaki Disease

OBJECTIVES

This study was designed to evaluate the usefulness of real-time 3-dimensional echocardiography (RT-3DE) for evaluating coronary artery morphology in patients with Kawasaki disease.

BACKGROUND

The diagnosis of coronary artery morphology in the acute phase of the disease is of prime importance for evaluating the likelihood of cardiovascular sequelae. Occasionally, visualization of the right coronary artery and bifurcated regions, including the circumflex artery, has proved challenging with traditional echocardiographic methods.

METHODS

A total of 111 patients with Kawasaki disease were studied. Coronary aneurysms were detected in 8 patients (4 had giant aneurysms), and coronary dilation was found in 11 patients. Coronary artery visualization was evaluated and scored as 1 of 4 grades, 0 to 3 points, for both 2-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) and RT-3DE. Evaluation criteria for each coronary artery were defined according to the American Heart Association classification of coronary angiographic features. Total scores for each patient and for individual coronary branches were compared between 2DE and RT-3DE.

RESULTS

The total scores for coronary artery visualization were, respectively, showing a significantly higher score for RT-3DE than for 2DE (P < .01). A mural thrombus could be clearly delineated in the giant coronary aneurysms by RT-3DE.

CONCLUSIONS

RT-3DE is superior to 2DE for coronary artery visualization. This diagnostic system is expected to improve the screening of coronary artery abnormalities in Kawasaki disease.

Demonstration of Left Ventricular Thrombi with Real-time 3-Dimensional Echocardiography in a Patient with Cardiomyopathy

Two-dimensional echocardiography is a conventional tool to evaluate left ventricular thrombus but the use of real-time 3-dimensional echocardiography is not widespread. We report a 35-year-old man with unsuspected cardiomyopathy and a long history of both amphetamine and alcohol abuse. He presented with abdominal pain and right lower leg numbness and pain. Computed tomography revealed infarctions of the spleen and both kidneys, along with occlusion of the right femoral artery. Echocardiography demonstrated left ventricular systolic dysfunction and multiple large thrombi in the left ventricle. The thrombi had a specific dynamic pattern on real-time 3-dimensional echocardiography. The patient underwent surgical embolectomy of the right femoral artery and was anticoagulated. Two months later, the cardiac thrombi had totally disappeared.

Improved detection of left ventricular thrombi and spontaneous echocontrast by tissue harmonic imaging in patients with myocardial infarction

BACKGROUND

Tissue harmonic imaging (THI) reduces near-field and side-lobe artifacts. This could improve recognition of cardiac masses, including thrombi and spontaneous echocontrast (SEC), a known thromboembolic risk factor.

OBJECTIVES

We tested the hypothesis that THI improves detection of left ventricular (LV) thrombi and SEC compared with transthoracic fundamental imaging in patients with recent myocardial infarction.

METHODS

In all, 118 consecutive patients with recent myocardial infarction were studied at predischarge. The echocardiographic examination was performed in both fundamental imaging and THI modality and evaluated by 3 skilled and 3 nonexperienced observers for recognition of LV thrombosis and SEC.

RESULTS

THI increased LV thrombi diagnosis by 25% by skilled observers and by 50% by nonexperienced readers, reducing the number of false-positive diagnoses by 67%. Also, compared with fundamental imaging, THI improved recognition of LV SEC by both experienced and nonexperienced observers by 56% and 62%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The improved recognition of LV thrombosis and SEC by THI in patients with myocardial infarction is clinically relevant allowing appropriate treatment and prognostic stratification. Therefore, routine use of THI should be recommended when studying such patients in clinical practice.