Diagnostik kardiovaskulärer Erkrankungen mit Hilfe der suprasternalen M-mode Echokardiographie

Summary The suprasternal approach can be used to image the aortic arch, the right pulmonary artery and the left atrium. Dilatation or dissections involving the aortic arch were detected echocardiographically from the suprasternal notch. The echocardiogram of the right pulmonary artery is altered in cases of acute and chronic pulmonary hypertension. Intrapulmonary thrombi in patients with acute pulmonary embolism were visualized with this technique. A volume overloading of the pulmonary circulation due to a congenital left to right shunt, as well as a decreased pulmonary blood flow due to a congenital right to left shunt causes characteristic changes in the wall motion pattern of the right pulmonary artery. Hypoplasia or aplasia of the central pulmonary arteries can be diagnosed as well. Imaging of the left atrium from the suprasternal notch may help to differentiate between supraventricular and ventricular rhythm disturbances. The suprasternal approach is therefore recommended to be used as a routine part of each echocardiographic examination.

---

Abkürzungen AO_d enddiastolischer Diameter der Aorta - AO_s mittsystolischer Diameter der Aorta - ASD Vorhofseptumdefekt - AO Aorta - DCM dilative Kardiomyopathie - F₄ Fallot'sche Tetralogie - LA linker Vorhof - NP Normalperson - PH pulmonale Hypertonie - PI Pulmonalinsuffizienz - PSE_AO prozentuale systolische Erweiterung der Aorta - PSE_RPA prozentuale systolische Erweiterung der rechten Pulmonalarterie - PAD_m mittlerer Pulmonalarteriendruck - PC praecordial - Q_RPA maximale Zunahme der Querschnittsfläche der rechten Pulmonalarterie während der Systole - RPA_d end-diastolischer Diameter der rechten Pulmonalarterie - RPA_s mittsystolischer Diameter der rechten Pulmonalarterie - SS suprasternal - SX subxiphoidal Teile der Arbeit wurden durch das BMFT-Projekt 01ZSO31-ZA/NT02 gefördert