title: Noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium: the use of contrast-enhanced echocardiography in diagnosis.
abstract: We describe a case of noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium diagnosed in the preoperative evaluation of a patient undergoing renal transplantation. Ventricular noncompaction is characterized by numerous prominent trabecular recesses with intratrabecular blood from the ventricular cavity. Color Doppler was suggestive of intramyocardial flow. With contrast-enhanced echocardiography the endocardial borders were clearly demarcated, allowing for visualization of trabecular recesses and intratrabecular flow. Contrast-enhanced echocardiography facilitates the diagnosis of noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium, circumventing the need for invasive diagnostic testing.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, University of Miami School of Medicine, FL 33136, USA. Mlowery@med.miami.edu
authors.forename: Maureen H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Lowery
authors.forename: Jose A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Martel
authors.forename: Juan P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Zambrano
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Lourdes
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Eco
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gallagher
mesh_terms: D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D008875:Middle Aged