Benign Masses, Normal Anatomic Variants, and Artifacts
摘要
Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) encompasses a wide variety of imaging techniques for an equally diverse list of organs, tissues, and structures. Cardiac ultrasound has a long and storied history, with arguably the most significant technological advancement over the years being the transition from single-scan motion (M) mode to the modern three-dimensional structure and color displays. As ultrasound probes have become more compact and portable, their diagnostic utility is being embraced more broadly across many medical specialties. Many physicians have added an understanding of ultrasound anatomy and pathophysiology to their armamentarium of clinical evaluation to arrive more conclusively at diagnoses and, in turn, to implement appropriate therapies more efficiently. Thus, POCUS is well-suited to aid critical care physicians in making rapid assessments of patients who often display acute and precipitous clinical changes, especially in the realm of hemodynamics. POCUS cardiac assessment is a powerful tool for critical care physicians to directly see, evaluate, and diagnose the etiology of hemodynamic changes. However, knowledge of common normal anatomic variants, benign cardiac masses, and common artifacts is paramount to avoid inadvertent mistaken interpretation of cardiac ultrasound images. This chapter endeavors to list and explain the most frequent of these otherwise normal findings, such as eustachian valves, moderator bands, fibroelastomas, myxomas, and reverberation artifacts.