Dilated cardiomyopathy, spontaneous echo contrast in the aorta and embolic events.

Spontaneous echocardiographic contrast (SEC) is a frequent finding in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). In this study, we have investigated the frequency and clinical correlates of aortic-SEC (Ao-SEC) in patients with DCM. Ninety-two consecutive DCM patients (63 men, 29 women, mean age 60 +/- 11 years) underwent transthoracic and transoesophageal echocardiography. Ao-SEC was found in 53 patients (58%). It was associated with: (i) a lower cardiac index (P < 0.001); (ii) left atrial-SEC (P < 0.001); (iii) left ventricular-SEC (P = 0.008); (iv) a larger aortic root (P = 0.02); (v) the presence of complex aortic atherosclerotic plaques (P < 0.001).The significant determinant of thromboembolism was left-atrial SEC (P = 0.03).We did not find a significant correlation between Ao-SEC and thromboembolism. Most of the patients who developed embolic events in the follow-up period had Ao-SEC.Thromboembolism is rather associated with left-atrial SEC than with Ao-SEC.

Citation

Güliz Kozdağ, Gökhan Ertaş, Tayfun Sahin, Teoman Kiliç, Ayşen Ağaçdiken, Ulaş Bildirici, Ahmet Vural, Dilek Ural. Dilated cardiomyopathy, spontaneous echo contrast in the aorta and embolic events. Acta cardiologica. 2010 Feb;65(1):9-14

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PMID: 20306884

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