Ultrasound Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Ultrasound, including details on screening, diagnosis, pregnancy, detection.

Three-dimensional echocardiography improves the understanding of the mechanisms and site of left atrioventricular valve regurgitation in atrioventricular septal defect.

Takahashi K, Guerra V, Roman KS, Nii M, Redington A, Smallhorn JF

Division of Cardiology and the Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, The University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine whether 3-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) provides additional information regarding the mechanisms and sites of left atrioventricular valve regurgitation in atrioventricular septal defect compared with transesophageal 2-dimensional echocardiography (2DE). METHODS: Eleven patients with a median age of 5.4 years (2.9-11.6 years) and a median weight of 16.8 kg (13.7-38.3 kg) with an atrioventricular septal defect underwent simultaneous transesophageal 2DE and 3DE before operation. RESULTS: The 2DE-3DE agreement for the assessment of the superior and mural leaflet size was 72.7%. The 2DE-3DE agreement for coaptation failure, a residual or primary cleft, and commissural abnormalities as a mechanism of regurgitation were 72.7%, 63.6%, and 36.4%, respectively. For jet sites the 2DE-3DE agreement was 63.6% for a commissural and central location. CONCLUSION: Three-dimensional echocardiography provides new and superior data regarding the mechanisms and sites of left atrioventricular valve regurgitation in atrioventricular septal defect.

Published 1 December 2006 in J Am Soc Echocardiogr, 19(12): 1502-10.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Ultrasound Research Today. All Rights Reserved.