title: Contrast echocardiography for right-sided heart conditions: case reports and literature review.
abstract: Contrast echocardiography is recognized to be a safe, effective technique for evaluating the endocardial border and left ventricular function in patients who have suboptimal non-contrast echocardiograms. However, its use in diagnosing right-heart conditions is less well established. Herein, we report our experience with the use of contrast echocardiography for diagnosing 3 distinct right-sided heart conditions (hypokinesis of the right ventricular free wall, severe tricuspid regurgitation, and cardiac tamponade) in patients who had suboptimal echocardiograms. Further studies should be done to validate the use of contrast echocardiography for diagnosing right-heart conditions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Harvinder
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.forename: Salim S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Virani
authors.forename: Leo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Raymond F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Stainback
mesh_terms: D002305:Cardiac Tamponade / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D005260:Female; D005466:Fluorocarbons; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008863:Microspheres; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D014262:Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D018497:Ventricular Dysfunction, Right / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D005466:Fluorocarbons; C042852:perflutren