Point of Care Ultrasound as a Key Tool in the Evaluation of a Woman with Syncope

Abstract

Abstract Using point of care ultrasound (POCUS) to evaluate patients with syncope in the emergency department facilitates the timely diagnosis of life-threatening pathologies. Case: A 56-year-old woman presented to the emergency department of a hospital in Bogotá, Colombia, for a syncopal episode. Vital signs, physical examination, electrocardiogram, and routine laboratory tests were normal. Cardiac POCUS was performed, which identified an echogenic mass located in the left atrium, measuring 35x28mm, which in left atrial systole appeared to occupy the entire chamber. She underwent surgical resection of the mass and histopathology revealed atrial myxoma. Conclusions: POCUS was useful in the rapid diagnosis of atrial myxoma in a woman presenting with syncope.