Ultrasound in Patients with Ebstein’s Anomaly
Ebstein’s Anomaly of the tricuspid valve is a disease close to my heart, because I was diagnosed with it at birth and it has been a part of my life and a factor of inspiration toward the field of medical imaging. It has affected my health negatively, yet affected my life positively. I have seen every test and imaging modality involving this condition and its understanding. Ebstein’s anomaly is a congenital heart defect that counts for less than 1% of all congenital heart diseases and occurs in 1 in 210,000 live births (theheart.org). The condition is defined by a malformation of the anterior leaflet of the tricuspid valve which results in weakening of the heart and regurgitation of blood back into …show more content…
I have had several tests performed to observe the condition over the course of my life including: stress tests, cardiac catheterizations, MRIs, chest x-rays, ECGs, and Holter monitors. Each of these data-recording methods provide invaluable insight to the referring cardiologist. MRIs with and without contrast can give much more accurate and detailed images of the severity of the condition in a patient, but are costly to perform and not as readily available. ECGs are routine for cardiologists and can detect arrhythmias and irregularities within the heart’s rhythm, and Holter monitors can serve the same purpose over the course of several days, to a month, to provide consistent data. Although all of these imaging modalities and tests are crucial in their own right, an ultrasound of the heart is more commonplace for regular diagnosis and evaluation of Ebstein’s Anomaly (Figure 2). Within an echocardiograph, according to Echocardiographic criteria for Ebstein's anomaly of tricuspid valve (Gussenhoven, Spitaels, Bom, et al.) there are two criteria that need to be identified to diagnose Ebstein’s Anomaly in a patient—distal displacement of a leaflet of the valve and dysplasia of the valve. Distal displacement is more frequently identified …show more content…
The patient then lays supine on the examination table and ultrasound gel is applied to the transducer to ensure direct contact to the skin and emission of the ultrasound beam to deep tissues. The transducer is then guided across the patient at different angles to render different views of the heart and vessels. The sonographer will sometimes have the patient lay on their side with an arm raised for imaging. Another view requires the patient to lay supine with a pillow directly under the neck so the head hangs and the transducer is placed at the suprasternal
Ebstein’s Anomaly of the tricuspid valve is a disease close to my heart, because I was diagnosed with it at birth and it has been a part of my life and a factor of inspiration toward the field of medical imaging. It has affected my health negatively, yet affected my life positively. I have seen every test and imaging modality involving this condition and its understanding. Ebstein’s anomaly is a congenital heart defect that counts for less than 1% of all congenital heart diseases and occurs in 1 in 210,000 live births (theheart.org). The condition is defined by a malformation of the anterior leaflet of the tricuspid valve which results in weakening of the heart and regurgitation of blood back into …show more content…
I have had several tests performed to observe the condition over the course of my life including: stress tests, cardiac catheterizations, MRIs, chest x-rays, ECGs, and Holter monitors. Each of these data-recording methods provide invaluable insight to the referring cardiologist. MRIs with and without contrast can give much more accurate and detailed images of the severity of the condition in a patient, but are costly to perform and not as readily available. ECGs are routine for cardiologists and can detect arrhythmias and irregularities within the heart’s rhythm, and Holter monitors can serve the same purpose over the course of several days, to a month, to provide consistent data. Although all of these imaging modalities and tests are crucial in their own right, an ultrasound of the heart is more commonplace for regular diagnosis and evaluation of Ebstein’s Anomaly (Figure 2). Within an echocardiograph, according to Echocardiographic criteria for Ebstein's anomaly of tricuspid valve (Gussenhoven, Spitaels, Bom, et al.) there are two criteria that need to be identified to diagnose Ebstein’s Anomaly in a patient—distal displacement of a leaflet of the valve and dysplasia of the valve. Distal displacement is more frequently identified …show more content…
The patient then lays supine on the examination table and ultrasound gel is applied to the transducer to ensure direct contact to the skin and emission of the ultrasound beam to deep tissues. The transducer is then guided across the patient at different angles to render different views of the heart and vessels. The sonographer will sometimes have the patient lay on their side with an arm raised for imaging. Another view requires the patient to lay supine with a pillow directly under the neck so the head hangs and the transducer is placed at the suprasternal