Left ventricular mural thrombus: two-dimensional echocardiographic diagnosis

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Left ventricular thrombus is a significant complication of various cardiac conditions.
• Accurate diagnosis is crucial for appropriate management and prevention of embolic events.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the echocardiographic and clinical features of left ventricular thrombus.
• To evaluate the accuracy of two-dimensional echocardiography in thrombus detection compared to angiography.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 60 patients with echocardiographic evidence of left ventricular thrombus.
• Detailed description of thrombus appearance, location, and association with cardiac diseases.
• Comparison of two-dimensional echocardiography with pathological or surgical confirmation in 14 patients.

Main Results:

• Left ventricular thrombus appeared as intracavitary echoes, often apical, and denser than myocardium.
• Larger thrombi were more frequent in dilated cardiomyopathy than in coronary artery disease or left ventricular aneurysm.
• Apical echocardiographic views were most effective for thrombus visualization.
• Two-dimensional echocardiography demonstrated higher accuracy than angiography in thrombus identification.

Conclusions:

• Two-dimensional echocardiography is a reliable method for diagnosing left ventricular thrombus.
• The technique offers superior accuracy compared to angiography for thrombus detection.