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Question
Parasternal long-axis of two different patients. What is the:
- structure labeled “A”
- structure labeled “B”
- diagnosis on the left?
- diagnosis on the right?
Answer
Answer:
- A = Left atrium
- B = Descending aorta
- Left clip = Pericardial effusion
- Right clip = Pleural effusion
Take home pearl: when there is fluid behind the heart, the parasternal long-axis view of the heart is helpful to distinguish between a pleural effusion and a pericardial effusion.
- Step 1: Find the descending aorta and left atrium
- Step 2: Is there fluid that crosses in-between the two?
- If there is, then there is a pericardial effusion
- If there is no fluid between, then it is a left pleural effusion
References
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