The reduction of spontaneous left atrial echographic contrast after percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty: a transesophageal echocardiography study

The effect of transmitral flow modification after percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty (PMV) on spontaneous echographic contrast (SEC) was evaluated. Ten female patients affected by mitral stenosis have been studied consecutively. All were selected on the basis of clinical and echocardiographical criteria to undergo PMV. The echocardiographic examination was performed 24 hours before the PMV, 24 to 48 hours after, and again three months after the PMV. The digital images were processed with digital filtering software written in C-language for an IBM-compatible personal computer using a 25 MHz 80386 microprocessor. The images were convolved with a 3×3 kernel representing digital low-pass filtering. In all the patients a significant diminution of the density of spontaneous echos in the left atrium was shown (m/pre-PMV=32.88+14.75, m/post-PMV=7.88+7.68, with p<0.001)