Evaluation of pulmonary venous flow by transesophageal echocardiography in subjects with a normal heart: Comparison with transthoracic echocardiography

摘要: Nineteen normal subjects and five patients with atrial fibrillation underwent transesophageal transthoracic echocardiography studies to evaluate the pulmonary venous flow pattern, compare right left assess effect of sample volume location on velocities. Best quality tracings were obtained by echocardiography. Anterograde during systole diastole was observed in all both techniques. Reversed contraction 18 19 sinus rhythm, but only 7 Two forward peaks ventricular clearly identified 14 (73%) echocardiography, none technique. The early systolic wave immediately followed reversed strongly related timing (r = 0.78; p Quantitatively, significantly higher peak velocities upper vein compared (60 ± 17 vs. 52 15 cm/s; Thus, four distinct phases can be distinguished echocardiography: two anterograde waves generated relaxation contraction, respectively, an one (retrograde) contraction. Significantly better distinctive phasic are A depth 0.5 1 cm provides optimal for interpretable stable recordings.