Echocardiographic guidance for catheter-based removal of right- sided intracardiac thrombus

Abstract

Pulmonary embolus and clot-in-transit represent medical emergencies that, depending in part on hemodynamic compromise and imaging findings, may require invasive percutaneous therapies. Echocardiography provides immediate noninvasive bedside information to diagnose these conditions and risk stratify these patients. Percutaneous treatment modalities are then guided by real-time transesophageal echocardiography. Procedural echocardiographers must be knowledgeable of the differential diagnosis of intracardiac masses, familiar with use of three-dimensional imaging, and aware of relevant transesophageal echocardiographic anatomy that will help the interventionalist guide their therapeutic devices within the confines of the beating heart as well as confirm complete extraction of intracardiac masses.