title: Umbilical catheter masquerading at echocardiography as a left atrial mass.
abstract: The case of a newborn who had an umbilical catheter inserted in the intensive care unit is discussed. This catheter was meant to be inserted into the umbilical artery, but was instead inadvertently inserted into the umbilical vein. It crossed a patent foramen ovale into the left atrium. This fact was not known at the time of echocardiographic evaluation. At echocardiography, abnormal echoes within the left atrium were seen. Findings were typical for a catheter within the heart, and the umbilical catheter was subsequently withdrawn. There is a potential for mistaking the echocardiographic findings for a left atrial abnormality and echocardiographers should be alert to this possibility.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Hamad General Hospital, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Crie
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hajar
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Folger
mesh_terms: D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D003310:Cor Triatriatum / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000150:complications; D004452:Echocardiography; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006346:Heart Septum / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015931:Intensive Care, Neonatal / Q000379:methods*; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy*; D014471:Umbilical Veins