Diagnostic capability of comprehensive handheld vs transthoracic echocardiography

To assess the diagnostic capability of handheld echocardiography (HHE) compared with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) performed and evaluated by experienced sonographers and expert echocardiographers.

We conducted a prospective study of adult outpatients undergoing comprehensive TTE between July 9, 2012, and April 3, 2013. Experienced sonographers performed a detailed, standardized examination using a handheld ultrasound device that included 2-dimensional and color Doppler images from standard imaging windows. Images from TTE and HHE were independently interpreted by expert echocardiographers to whom the other study was masked. Agreement between the standard TTE and the HHE reports was analyzed.

The study group contained 190 patients (mean ± SD age, 62 ± 17 years; 49% male [n=93]). The κ values were 0.52 for left ventricular (LV) enlargement, 0.52 for right ventricular enlargement, 0.62 for regional wall motion abnormalities, 0.73 for aortic stenosis, and 0.61 for mitral regurgitation. Lin concordance correlation coefficients ranged from 0.89 for LV end-systolic diameter to 0.78 for LV end-diastolic diameter. In 51 patients (27%), echocardiographic findings were discordant between HHE and standard TTE. The most common discordant finding was the presence vs absence of any regional wall motion abnormalities. In discordant cases, HHE tended to underestimate, rather than overestimate, the severity of abnormal findings.

In experienced hands, HHE shows moderate correlation with standard TTE, but discordant findings were present in 27% of patients. Even when performed and interpreted by experienced operators, HHE should not be used as a surrogate for standard TTE.

clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01558518.