Right Atrial Mass Simulated Echocardiographically by a Swan-Ganz Catheter

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Communications for this section will be published as space and priorities permit. The comments should not exceed 500 words in length, with a maximum of jive references; one figure or table can be printed. Exceptions may occur under particular circumstances. Contributions may Include comments on articles published in this pen-

odical,

or they may be reports

acter. Specific covering letter

Right

permission or appended

Atrial

of unique

Mass

We

like

report with

pacemaker.

by

to compliment

Correspondence3

valve

Kendrick

septal

the and

et al’

similar

rupture

that

anterior Charuzi

!:i_

an

patients

motion

with

of the

distorted

by

atrial

the

anterior

Swan-Ganz

by

the

leaflet These

or myomata,

leaflet

(perhaps

of

catheter.

mass a

result anterior

of the

are catheter

tricuspid

redundancy

of

the

in all patients. R. I’ama!, P/iD., DO., Department of Internal Detroit Osteopathic and William H. Smiley Associate Professor of Clinical College of Osteopathic Michigan State University,

in a

Resident Medicine Hos jital III, DO. i\Icdicine Medicine Lansing

1 Kendrick MH, Harrington JJ, Sharma GVRK, et al : Ventricular pacemaker wire simulating a right atrial mass. Chest 72:649-650, 1977 2 Silverman B, Kozma C, Silverman M, et al: Echocardiographic manifestations of postinfarction ventricular septal rupture. Chest 68:778-780, 1975 3 Levisman JA : Echoes from Swan-Ganz catheter ( letter to editor). Chest 70 : 108, 1976 4 Charuzi Y, Kraus R, Swan HJC: Echocardiographic interpretation in the presence of Swan-Ganz intracardiac catheters. Am J Cardiol 40:989-994, 1977

on their

findings

after

article

in

infarction.

suggested

that

Swan“catheter cardiac tricuspid

leaflet

of the

et

emphasized

To the We

Levisman3

caused

the

James

valve. Both

the is not

catheter)

tricuspid valvular echoes wire of a right ventricular

following

including

all

char-

be cited

the echoes actually originated from an indwelling Ganz catheter. Charuzi et al also described echoes” that could be confused with several structures,

valve suggest

by

the

a

et at2 described

ventricular

are

of the

report

support

REFERENCES

of abnormal a redundant

Silverman with

patients

echoes motion

which in

The

1 would

distorted

tricuspid

seen

echoes.

Figure

abnormal

the

because

Catheter

would

the

of the

our

findings, not

To the Editor: concise associated

the

and

source

and

Simulated

Echocardiographically Swan-Ganz

educational

to publish should as a postscript.

that

catheter of

sole

et al’

theory

EDITOR

TH

as the

Kendrick

a!4

:: -TT

-

the

interest

Editor: would

like

in our

-

article

to

thank and

Yarnal the

and

Smiley

echocardiogram

for

their

that

they

-

,

.

:

.

.

..

,

I’.

.

-

I

. -

Ficun creased abruptly

transducer

normal

418

1. Echocardiogram D-E excursion,

withdrawn and

gain

after withdrawal

: i

____

showing anterior leaflet of tricuspid valve (thin arrow) with indecreased E-F slope, and dense echoes posterior to it. Catheter was (thick arrow) from pulmonary artery to right atrium while position of settings were unchanged. Motion of anterior leaflet of tricuspid valve is of catheter.

COMMUNICATIONS TO THE EDITOR

CHEST, 74: 4, OCTOBER, 1978