Abstract
Since its introduction in 1954, diagnostic ultrasound has been used to record the movement of atrio-ventricular valves, to measure atrial and ventricular dimensions, left venticular free wall thickness, left ventricular outflow dimension and to detect the presence of pericardial effusions. In this study echocardiograms were obtained in 50 normal neonates (age 5โ96 hours) as part of a control study. In every instance distinct mitral and tricuspid valve echoes were easily recorded. Left ventricular end-diastolic diameters were 1.5ยท2.0 cm. and the diameter of the left ventricular outflow tract was 0.8โ1.2 cm. Echocardiograms were obtained from 16 infants with a variety of cardiac malformations (age 2โ16 weeks) in whom diagnoses were confirmed either by cardiac catheterization or autopsy. In 2 babies the diagnosis of hypoplastic left heart syndrome was made because of absence or gross distortion of reflected ultrasound from the mitral valves, and lef ventricular end-diastolic diameters whih were far below the values observed in our normal neonates. At autopsy the mitral and aortic valves were atretic and the left ventricles hypoplastic in both patients. In 3 babies the clinical diagnosis of hypoplastic left heart syndrome was untenable because of normal mitral valve reflection and left ventricular dimensions. Subsequent cardiac catheterizations confirmed the ultrasoni findings. In antoher baby the echocardiographic diagnosis of tricuspid atresia was confirmed at autopsy. This technique provides a non-invasive method of evaluating the hearts of neonates. Infants suspected of having the hypoplastic left heart syndrome may be diagnosed by ultrasound without the necessity of cardiac catheterization.
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Meyer, R., Kaplan, S. Echocardiography in the diagnosis of neonatal congenital heart disease. Pediatr Res 5, 426 (1971). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197108000-00230
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197108000-00230