SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL of the Hungarian Society of Cardiology

Feasibility and Effectiveness of 3-dimensional Echocardiography in congenital heart diseases

█ Review

DOI: 10.26430/CHUNGARICA.2018.48.1.77

Authors:
Kádár Krisztina, Apor Asztrid, Merkely Béla
Semmelweis Egyetem, Városmajori Szív- és Érgyógyászati Klinika, Budapest

Summary

Three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE) is a new diagnostic tool and has increasing role in the management of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD), particularly with pre-surgical planning, guidance of catheter intervention, and functional assessment of the heart. 3DE is increasingly used in children because of good acoustic windows and the non-invasive nature of the technique. Our aim is to provide a review of the optimal application of 3DE in CHD and to assess the benefit of utilizing real time transthoracic echocardiograpy (RRT-3DE) performed within one year in our Clinic for diagnosing and as a guide for appropriate treatment of different types of congenital heart disease.

Methods: 32 patients aged 0.6-28, mean 9.8 years, including 6 fetus were evaluated by both 2D-TTE and RTT-3DE. The 3D real time reconstruction was done with Epiq G7 Equipment (Matrix Probe5-1) using Q Lab 10.3 software. In six pts offline analyses were also performed.

Results: RTT-3DE added additional data compared with 2DE in 6 (20%) of pts. RTT- 3DE had a particular value in demonstrating the morphology of aortic root and atrioventricular valves anatomy and the demonstration of the origin and the direction of multiple regurgitation jets, which had clinical value in preoperative decision making.

Conclusion: On the basis of our experience RRT-3DE is superior to the traditional 2DE in congenital heart diseases providing incremental value in the assessment of aortic root diseases and atrioventricular congenital valves anomaly. We recommend to integrate RTT-3DE in routine clinical practice in these selected cases.

ISSUE: CARDIOLOGIA HUNGARICA | 2018 | VOLUME 48, ISSUE 1

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