Key result
Echocardiography identifies acute cardiac allograft rejection with ~96% specificity using wall thickness, LV mass, and LVEF.
Why the study?
Echocardiographic parameters for detecting cardiac allograft rejection after orthotopic heart transplantation require evaluation against endomyocardial biopsy findings.
Does serial echocardiography accurately detect cardiac allograft rejection compared to endomyocardial biopsy in heart transplant recipients?
Comparison
Serial M-Mode and cross-sectional echocardiography vs endomyocardial biopsy
Design
Observational cohort study
Follow-up
Mean 7.7 +/- 6 months
Authors
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Echocardiography's high specificity may help rule out rejection in transplant recipients; leaves open its role versus biopsy in prospective validation.
Observational (n=21)
Does serial echocardiography accurately detect cardiac allograft rejection compared to endomyocardial biopsy in heart transplant recipients?
p-value: p=<0.001
Echocardiographic parameters such as increased wall thickness, LV mass, and myocardial echogenicity show high specificity for detecting moderate acute cardiac allograft rejection.
Ciliberto et al. (1989) conducted an observational in Orthotopic cardiac transplantation (n=21). Echocardiographic assessment vs. Endomyocardial biopsy (EBS) was evaluated on Echocardiographic parameters (wall thickness, LV mass, LVEF, myocardial echogenicity, RV wall motion) across grades of rejection (p=<0.001). Echocardiographic assessment identified acute cardiac allograft rejection with specificities ranging from 95.6% to 100% for criteria including increased wall thickness, LV mass, and reduced LVEF.
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