Abstract
Embolism from the heart or the thoracic aorta often leads to clinically significant morbidity and mortality due to transient ischemic attack,stroke or occlusion of peripheral arteries. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography are the key diagnostic modalities for evaluation, diagnosis, and management ofstroke, systemic and pulmonary embolism. This document provides comprehensive American Society of Echocardiography guidelines on the use of echocardiography for evaluation of cardiac sources of embolism. It describes general mechanisms ofstroke and systemic embolism; the specific role of cardiac and aortic sources instroke, and systemic and pulmonary embolism; the role of echocardiography in evaluation, diagnosis, and management of cardiac and aortic sources of emboli including the incremental value of contrast and 3D echocardiography; and a brief description of alternative imaging techniques and their role in the evaluation of cardiac sources of emboli. Specific guidelines are provided for each category of embolic sources including the left atrium and left atrial appendage, left ventricle, heart valves, cardiac tumors, and thoracic aorta. In addition, there are recommendation regarding pulmonary embolism, and embolism related to cardiovascular surgery and percutaneous procedures. The guidelines also include a dedicated section on cardiac sources of embolism in pediatric populations.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-42 |
| Number of pages | 42 |
| Journal | Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2016 |
Funding
The following authors reported no actual or potential conflicts of interest in relation to this document: Muhamed Saric, MD, PhD, FASE, Chair, Alicia Armour, MA, BS, RDCS, FASE, M. Samir Arnaout, MD, Richard A. Grimm, DO, FASE, Bruce F. Landeck, II, MD, FASE, Hector Michelena, MD, FASE, and Kirsten Tolstrup, MD, FASE. The following authors reported relationships with one or more commercial interests: Farooq Chaudhry, MD, FASE serves as a consultant for Lantheus Medical Imaging and received grant support from GE Healthcare and Bracco. Itzhak Kronzon, MD, FASE, serves as a consultant for Philips Healthcare; Kameswari Maganti, MD, FASE, received a research grant from GE Healthcare .
Keywords
- Aortic atherosclerosis
- Cardiac mass
- Cardiac shunt
- Cardiac tumor
- Cardioembolism
- Cryptogenicstroke
- Intracardiac thrombus
- Prosthetic valve
- Vegetation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Radiology Nuclear Medicine and imaging
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
