Intracardiac echocardiography via the transvenous approach with use of 8F 10-MHz ultrasound catheters.
OBJECTIVE
To study the safety and feasibility of intracardiac imaging using a novel 8F 10-MHz non-over-the-wire ultrasound catheter system.


METHODS
Intracardiac imaging using a transfemoral venous approach was performed in 33 adults, 14 men and 19 women, aged 25 to 66 years (mean, 46 years). Six were normal subjects, 12 had congenital heart diseases (5 atrial septal defects, 3 ventricular septal defects, 1 tetralogy of Fallot, 2 patent ductus arteriosus, and 1 Ebstein anomaly), 14 had valvular heart diseases (12 mitral stenoses and 2 calcific aortic stenoses), and 1 had acute pulmonary embolism.


RESULTS
Ultrasound images were obtained, without any complications, from the right side of the heart in all subjects. The atria and ventricles could be recognized by anatomic relationships to the cardiac chambers and the valves by their characteristic motion during each cardiac cycle. The vessels were verified by their connections to the cardiac chamber and by contrast echocardiography if indicated.


CONCLUSIONS
Intracardiac imaging using the 8F 10-MHz non-over-the-wire ultrasound catheter system via a transfemoral venous approach is feasible and safe. Intracardiac echocardiography is potentially useful for assessing a variety of cardiac anomalies and in guiding and monitoring certain intervention procedures.
Fu
M
M
Section of Cardiology, China Medical College Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
Hung
J S
JS
Lo
P H
PH
Wu
C J
CJ
Chang
K C
KC
Lau
K W
KW
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002404:Catheterization / Q000379:methods; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005268:Femoral Vein; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014683:Vena Cava, Superior / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging