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Updated: May 21, 2026
03:40
Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Peripheral Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Without Left Ventricular Venting
Published on: January 17, 2025
Occurrence of Left Ventricular Cavity Obliteration
K Tamilselvan1, Aashish Arumugam1, Magesh Vadivelu1
1Department of Cardiology, Meenakshi Medical College and Research Institute, Kanchipuram, IND.
Cureus
|May 20, 2026
Summary
Left ventricular cavity obliteration (LVCO) occurred in over half of patients with LV intracavitary gradients. This hemodynamic pattern, not tied to specific diagnoses, warrants further investigation in cardiology.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Echocardiography
- Hemodynamics
Background:
- Left ventricular cavity obliteration (LVCO) is an echocardiographic finding of systolic apposition of ventricular walls.
- Its clinical profile in patients with left ventricular (LV) intracavitary gradients is not well-defined.
- This study investigates LVCO occurrence and predictors in patients with Doppler-detected LV cavity gradients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the prevalence of LVCO in patients with LV intracavitary gradients.
- To identify echocardiographic predictors of LVCO in this patient group.
- To explore the association between LVCO and specific cardiac diagnoses.
Main Methods:
- Prospective observational cross-sectional study of 60 adults with LV intracavitary gradients ≥30 mmHg.
- LVCO defined using integrated 2D and Doppler echocardiography.
- Statistical analysis included chi-square, t-tests, and logistic regression to assess associations and predictors.
Main Results:
- LVCO was present in 51.7% of patients (31/60).
- Dilated and hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy were the most common diagnoses.
- LVCO was not significantly associated with diagnostic category or LV cavity size; higher baseline LV gradient inversely correlated with LVCO.
Conclusions:
- LVCO is a frequent finding in patients with LV intracavitary gradients.
- LVCO appears to be a dynamic hemodynamic pattern rather than a diagnosis-specific marker.
- Further research is needed to confirm these preliminary, hypothesis-generating findings.
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