Echocardiography Q&A Flashcards

Covers the historical origins of echocardiography, fundamental sound wave physics, resolution concepts, the Doppler effect, harmonic imaging, and common imaging artifacts.

Explores three-dimensional echocardiography (resolution and advantages) and the use of ultrasound enhancing agents (UEA), including their interaction with ultrasound, clinical applications, and pitfalls.

Details the performance of TTE: screen orientation, transducer maneuvers, patient preparation, probe positions and standard views, imaging protocol, image optimization, and the structure of TTE reporting (demographics, quantitative data, report text).

Introduces TEE, its indications, complications, and contraindications. Includes patient preparation, anesthesia/sedation, probe insertion/control, transducer positioning, display orientation, and the standard TEE views (mid-esophageal, transgastric, descending aorta, upper esophageal) along with TEE reporting guidelines.

Focuses on quantitative assessment of the left ventricle (size, mass, systolic function), left atrium (size and function), and the aortic root and ascending aorta dimensions.

Explains diastolic dysfunction, the stepwise approach to assessment and grading (Steps 1 and 2), examples, additional useful measurements, and common pitfalls in diastolic evaluation.

Covers quantification of the right ventricle (systolic and diastolic function) and right atrial size.

Presents volume and area calculations (stroke volume, cardiac output, continuity equation, regurgitant volume, PISA), pressure calculations (right- and left-sided pressures, abnormal connections), the pressure half-time, and the Valsalva maneuver (uses and adequacy).

Discusses valvular aortic stenosis (etiology, morphology, quantification, and subaortic stenosis) and aortic regurgitation (etiology, semiquantitative/quantitative severity assessment, and 3D presentation).

Addresses mitral stenosis (etiology, grading, suitability for balloon valvuloplasty) and mitral regurgitation (mechanism, primary vs. secondary MR, systolic anterior motion, eccentric jet direction, grading, acute MR, and diastolic MR).

Covers the pulmonary valve (stenosis and regurgitation) and the tricuspid valve (leaflet identification, stenosis, regurgitation, and 3D views).

Reviews prosthetic valve types (mechanical and tissue), echocardiographic assessment (clinical history, 2D imaging), early and late complications, position-specific evaluation (aortic, mitral, right-sided), and includes an appendix of normal Doppler values for prostheses.

Describes stress types (exercise and pharmacological), indications for ischemia detection, viability assessment, diastolic stress, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, heart failure, valvular lesions (MR, AR, MS, aortic/mitral prostheses), and other uses, plus stress reporting components.

Covers ischemic complications (cardiomyopathy, aneurysm, pseudoaneurysm/free-wall rupture, dynamic LVOT obstruction, intramyocardial dissection), dilated cardiomyopathy, LV non-compaction, Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, restrictive/infiltrative cardiomyopathy, myocardial crypts/diverticulum, myocarditis, and cancer therapeutics-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD).

Focuses on pulmonary embolism (echocardiographic features) and arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD).

Covers pericardial anatomy (sinuses, recesses, fat), pericardial effusion (quantification, etiology, types, differentiation from pleural effusion/ascites), cardiac tamponade (respiratory variation, caveats), constrictive pericarditis (pathophysiology, findings, differentiation from restrictive cardiomyopathy), effusive-constrictive pericarditis, pericardial cysts, and congenital absence of the pericardium.

Reviews aortic anatomy, dilatation/aneurysm (etiology, morphology, consequences), sinus of Valsalva aneurysm, acute aortic syndrome (dissection, intramural hematoma, penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer), aortic atheroma, and coarctation of the aorta.

Covers cardiac and visceral positions, atrial/ventricular identification, atrioventricular and ventriculo-arterial relations, transposition of the great arteries (D-TGA, L-TGA), univentricular heart/palliative surgery, Tetralogy of Fallot, ventricular septal defects, atrial septal defects (embryology, PFO, ostium secundum, AVSD/ostium primum, sinus venosus, unroofed coronary sinus), anomalous pulmonary venous drainage, patent ductus arteriosus, left-to-right shunts summary, Ebstein's anomaly, and cor-triatriatum.

Describes non-tumor masses (thrombi, vegetations) and tumor masses (primary benign tumors, primary malignant tumors, and secondary/metastatic tumors).

Details echo-guided pericardiocentesis; percutaneous closure of ASD and PFO (indications, contraindications, rim/device assessment); transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR valves, indications, preprocedural imaging); mitral balloon valvuloplasty; left atrial appendage occlusion (Watchman device); and alcohol septal ablation (indications, intraprocedural echocardiography, results, complications).