Detection of valvar obstruction by intracardiac masses using Doppler echocardiography.

The purpose of this paper was to examine valvar involvement in patients with intracardiac masses. Seven patients with intracardiac masses were studied by cross-sectional and Doppler echocardiography. In one, a candida vegetation on a mitral Starr-Edwards prosthesis obstructed the aortic valve with a peak transvalvar velocity of 2 m/sec and aortic regurgitation. Another patient with endocarditis demonstrated mitral stenosis as did two patients with left atrial myxomata. Tricuspid stenosis was demonstrated in three patients with right ventricular intracardiac masses (primary and secondary tumour and thrombus). By Doppler, the mitral and tricuspid stenosis was similar to from that seen in rheumatic heart disease with increased peak transvalvar velocity and prolonged pressure half-time. Because of the hazards associated with cardiac catheterisation in intracardiac masses, we conclude that Doppler ultrasound allows for the adequate assessment of the haemodynamic alterations so as to complement the images obtained by cross-sectional echocardiography.