Abstract Background Conventional echocardiography often struggles to differentiate intracardiac masses, particularly in patients with poor acoustic windows. Contrast-enhanced Echocardiography (CEE) overcomes this limitation by visualizing perfusion patterns — distinguishing avascular thrombi from vascularized tumors. We aimed to synthesize existing evidence to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of CEE. Objectives To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of CEE for differentiating cardiac masses in adults, using histopathology as reference and reporting AUC, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV. Methods Systematic searches of PubMed, Web of […]

Abstract Contrast echocardiography, based on ultrasound contrast agents composed of microbubbles, has been increasingly incorporated into echocardiography labs. It involves the infusion of compounds that enhance the visualization of various cardiac and vascular structures. The multiple adjustments required are usually included in pre-configured packages (presets) installed by manufacturers on the equipment. However, it is possible – and sometimes necessary – to make modifications to optimize image generation and, guided by the objective of the echocardiographic study, to achieve the full […]