VOLUME RENDERED TRANSTHORACIC THREE- DIMENSIONAL
ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF ATRIOVENTRICULAR SEPTAL DEFECT—A PILOT
STUDY
Jiang H, Chen SB, Sun K
Shanghai Children’s Medical
Center, Shanghai, China
Objective: To assess the
feasibility and clinical application of volume rendered three-dimensional
echocardiography (3-DE) for evaluation of atrioventricular septal defect
(AVSD).
Methods: The study group
consisted of 44 patients,(26 boy and 18 girls), mean age 13.2±6.3 months. Images were
acquired from subcostal acoustic window during a routine two-dimensional
echocardiography (2DE)examination(rotational scan with 0.6º-1ºinterval, respiration
and electrocardiogram gating) and post-processed off-line. All the cases
were classified into two groups according to the number of atrioventricular
valve orifices (AVVO) determined by 3-DE. The atrioventricular connective
tissues and relative lesions were displayed from atrial, left ventricular,
right ventricular and antero-posterior perspective.
Results: Twenty patients had common AVVO. 15 patients
had two separated AVVO. In 3-DE, the number of the AVVO, the shape, the
size, the extension of the cardiac septal defect its relationship to
adjacent cardiac structure. The degree of overriding of the bridging leaflets
in those hearts with a common AVVO, the location, extension, width and
depth of the mitral cleft in those hearts with separated AVVO could be
displayed and assessed from a three-dimensional, object orient view,
allowing comprehensive morphologic and morphometric assessment of AVSD.
Conclusion: 3-DE can play a complementary role to
conventional role to conventional 2DE in the diagnosis of AVSD.