An unusual cause of left atrium compression by ultrasound: A case report.

RATIONALE: Cirrhosis is a chronic liver disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Patients with cirrhosis are at increased risk of upper gastrointestinal bleeding, a life-threatening complication.

PATIENT CONCERNS: A 34-year-old male with cirrhosis was admitted to the emergency department with symptoms of vomiting fresh blood and dizziness. He developed extensive upper gastrointestinal bleeding and was treated with a Sengstaken-Blakemore tube (SBT), followed by unexplained sharp fluctuations in heart rate and blood pressure.

DIAGNOSES: Transthoracic echocardiography revealed that the SBT tube had shifted and compressed the heart.

INTERVENTIONS: The SBT was extracted under an endoscope.

OUTCOMES: After treatment, he received a good prognosis.

LESSONS: The SBT tube displacement was found through transthoracic echocardiography to avoid more serious complications ultrasound technology is a noninvasive and visual technology, which has great value in many disciplines.