Incidence and characteristics of left ventricular false tendons and trabeculations in the normal and pathologic heart by second harmonic echocardiography

J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 2004 Apr;17(4):367-74. doi: 10.1016/j.echo.2003.12.020.

Abstract

We sought to review echocardiographic incidence of anomalous images (AI) as false tendons and trabeculations of the left ventricle (LV) in light of recent advancements in echocardiographic evaluation of heart anatomy. In 1580 patients the presence of false tendons, trabeculations, or thrombi was evaluated with transthoracic echocardiography and correlated to clinical characteristics and echocardiographic parameters. Incidence of AI was 46.7% (75% false tendons, 23% trabeculations, 2% thrombi), slightly higher in pathologic (48.9%) than in normal hearts (40.8%). AI were more frequent in male patients (52%) than in female patients (39.7%) and associated with LV dilatation, hypertrophy, and systolic dysfunction. False tendons and trabeculations were not related to age. Male sex was the most significant independent predictor of AI. In 2 patients, isolated LV noncompaction of myocardium was diagnosed and confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging. This study shows a high prevalence of AI for patients with and without pathologic hearts suggesting the need of updating LV echocardiographic anatomy. It also emphasizes the necessity for an awareness of these anatomic variants when evaluating patients for mural thrombi and cardiomyopathies.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Evaluation Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / diagnostic imaging
  • Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / epidemiology
  • Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / pathology
  • Child
  • Echocardiography*
  • Echocardiography, Doppler, Color
  • Female
  • Heart Septum / diagnostic imaging
  • Heart Septum / pathology
  • Heart Ventricles / diagnostic imaging
  • Heart Ventricles / pathology
  • Humans
  • Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / diagnostic imaging
  • Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / epidemiology
  • Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular / pathology
  • Incidence
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multivariate Analysis
  • Myocardium / pathology
  • Observer Variation
  • Predictive Value of Tests
  • Statistics as Topic
  • Stroke Volume / physiology
  • Thrombosis / diagnostic imaging
  • Thrombosis / epidemiology
  • Thrombosis / pathology