[The incidence and clinical significance of the echocardiographic finding of false chordae tendineae].

The presence of false tendons (FT) with M-mode and 2-D echocardiography in a consecutive series of 916 patients (520 men--396 women) with a wide age range (9-83 y) was investigated, and a possible correlation with heart systolic murmurs and/or heart arrhythmias evaluated. The problems that FT cause in differential diagnosis with other intraventricular structures were also considered. FT were observed in 53 subjects (5.8%), 30 men--23 women, and in an additional 51 cases (96%) in the left ventricular cavity. A clear prevalence of FT was observed during childhood and adolescence (26.1%), with the preferential location at the top of the ventricular chamber. No relevant correlation between FT and heart systolic murmurs and/or cardiac rhythm disorders was found. Although our results show that FT constitute an occasional finding, with no anatomic or functional relevance, they should always be held in due consideration in case of diagnostic uncertainty with other pathological structures, in particular intracavitary thrombi.