Contrast echocardiography
Use of PHA-665752 in echocardiography can improve image quality markedly and allow detection of concealed abnormalities. The simplest form of contrast can be produced manually by agitating saline between two syringes connected to a three-way tap. The air bubbles produced opacify in the right side of the heart but are too large to pass through the pulmonary capillaries. Thus, any bubbles appearing on the left side of the heart indicate a shunt, usually an atrial septal defect or a patent foramen ovale (PFO). Bubble contrast TTE is frequently used after a stroke or transient ischaemic attack, as a PFO may represent a gateway for emboli from the venous system to the brain. However, this test should be requested only if PFO closure is to be considered (Figure 4).
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Figure 4.
Bubble contrast echo showing a patent foramen ovale. The presence of bubbles in the left side of the heart is indicative of a right-left shunt.
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