Reproducibility of right-to-left shunt quantification using transthoracic contrast echocardiography in hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia.

ABSTRACT: AIM:Transthoracic contrast echocardiography (TTCE) is recommended for screening of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) in hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia. Shunt quantification is used to find treatable PAVMs. So far, there has been no study investigating the reproducibility of this diagnostic test. Therefore, this study aimed to describe inter-observer and inter-injection variability of TTCE. METHODS:We conducted a prospective single centre study. We included all consecutive persons screened for presence of PAVMs in association with hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia in 2015. The videos of two contrast injections per patient were divided and reviewed by two cardiologists blinded for patient data. Pulmonary right-to-left shunts were graded using a three-grade scale. Int

SUBMITTER: Vorselaars VMM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5876176 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature