Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Carroll D, Weerakkody Y, Murphy A, McConnell's sign (echocardiography). Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 10 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-64364
The McConnell's sign describes a regional pattern of acute right ventricular dysfunction on transthoracic echocardiography first observed in a cohort of patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism. In contrast to the global wall motion abnormalities observed in chronic right ventricular dysfunction, this sign refers to the coexistence of akinesia of the mid-free right ventricular wall with preserved apical contractility 1.
Subsequent studies have demonstrated a consistently low sensitivity; in the presence of high pretest probability, it may serve as a useful rule-in parameter at the bedside 2,3.
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1. McConnell MV, Solomon SD, Rayan ME, Come PC, Goldhaber SZ, Lee RT. Regional right ventricular dysfunction detected by echocardiography in acute pulmonary embolism. (1996) The American journal of cardiology. 78 (4): 469-73. Pubmed
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2. Dwyer KH, Rempell JS, Stone MB. Diagnosing centrally located pulmonary embolisms in the emergency department using point-of-care ultrasound. (2018) The American journal of emergency medicine. 36 (7): 1145-1150. doi:10.1016/j.ajem.2017.11.033 - Pubmed
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3. Walsh BM, Moore CL. McConnell's Sign Is Not Specific for Pulmonary Embolism: Case Report and Review of the Literature. (2015) The Journal of emergency medicine. 49 (3): 301-4. doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2014.12.089 - Pubmed
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4. Rafie N, Foley D, Ripoll J et al. McConnell’s Sign Is Not Always Pulmonary Embolism. JACC: Case Reports. 2022;4(13):802-7. doi:10.1016/j.jaccas.2022.05.007 - Pubmed
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5. Oh S, Bang S, Kim M. McConnell’s Sign; a Distinctive Echocardiographic Finding for Diagnosing Acute Pulmonary Embolism in Emergency Department. Crit Ultrasound J. 2015;7(S1):1. doi:10.1186/2036-7902-7-s1-a20
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