Echocardiography of left ventricular masses.

The M-mode and two-dimensinal real-time echocardiographic findings in 10 patients with left ventricular masses are discussed. Two patients had left ventricular tumors and eight had left ventricular thrombi. In all cases the diagnosis was confirmed by angiography or surgery. The intracavitary and intramural left ventricular tumors were detected both by M-mode and two-dimensional echocardiography . M-mode echocardiography, however, did not detect the left ventricular thrombus in all instances. Two-dimensional echocardiography was able to identify the four large and inhomogeneous left ventricular thrombi but did not clearly identify four cases of smaller mural thrombi. Echocardiography techniques useful in detection of left ventricular masses are discussed.