1. Optimal Use of Echocardiography in Management of Thrombosis After Anterior Myocardial Infarction
- Author
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Francesca Bursi, Francesca Mantovani, Pompilio Faggiano, Andrea Faggiano, Giuseppe Boriani, and Andrea Barbieri
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Heart Ventricles ,Myocardial Infarction ,Anterior myocardial infarction ,030204 cardiovascular system & hematology ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging ,In patient ,030212 general & internal medicine ,Acute mi ,Anterior Wall Myocardial Infarction ,business.industry ,Thrombosis ,Gold standard (test) ,Left ventricular thrombus ,medicine.disease ,Echocardiography ,Cardiology ,Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine ,Cardiac magnetic resonance ,business ,Very high risk - Abstract
Despite advancement in therapy and management, left ventricular thrombus (LVT) after anterior myocardial infarction (MI) is sporadically encountered and remains associated with a very high risk of major cardiovascular events and mortality. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) is considered the gold standard technique for LVT detection, but it is a time-consuming and expensive test not available in all centers, especially when repeated examinations are necessary. Transthoracic echocardiography represents a useful tool to screen for LVT and to identify predictors of high risk of developing LVT. The advances in ultrasound technology and the use of contrast agents may potentially help clinicians to identify LVT and the use of sequential echocardiography for each patient with acute MI complicated by LVT may provide an opportunity to quantify regression and its correlation with outcomes to tailor the management of these patients. Hence, this narrative review focuses on the added value of echocardiographic-guided LVT management in patients with recent anterior MI to reduce mortality and morbidity excess related to LVT based on current evidence.
- Published
- 2020