MRI misinterpretation of spontaneous echo-contrast as a large left atrial thrombus

Abstract

A magnetic resonance imaging of the heart was obtained in a patient with history of mitral valve replacement, in whom cor triatriatum dexter was suspected. Dense left atrial echo-contrast, visualized during a previous transesophageal echocardiography, was incorrectly interpreted as a large thrombus extending into the pulmonary veins and the patient was referred for cardiac surgical evaluation.

Badanie rezonansu magnetycznego serca w wykrywaniu skrzeplin wewnątrzsercowych

“…Over the years, cardiac MR imaging with different types of sequences has emerged as a noninvasive alternative for the detection and characterisation of intra-cardiac masses [11][12][13][14]. In agreement with the earlier studies, the present study shows that the value of spin-echo and turbo spin-echo MR imaging sequences for revealing intra-cardiac masses is limited by artifacts caused by slow-flowing blood [11,15]. Because of the high signal intensity inherent to blood, gradient-echo sequences are robust and more sensitive for the detection of intra-cardiac thrombi.…”

Detection and Characterization of Intracardiac Thrombi on MR Imaging

“…Over the years, cardiac MR imaging with different types of sequences has emerged as a noninvasive alternative for the detection and characterization of intracardiac masses [11][12][13][14]. In agreement with earlier studies, our data show that the value of spin-echo and turbo spin-echo MR imaging sequences for revealing intracardiac masses is limited by artifacts caused by slow-flowing blood [11,15]. Because of the high signal intensity inherent to blood, gradient-echo sequences are robust and more sensitive for the detection of intracardiac thrombi.…”