title: Cross-sectional echocardiographic study on atrial septal defect: pre- and postoperative considerations.
abstract: The interatrial septum (IAS) has not been readily appreciated by M-mode echocardiography, but cross-sectional echocardiography has the capability of recording the shape and location of the IAS. Thirty-five patients with secundum atrial septal defect (ASD) were studied with cross-sectional echocardiography for detection of the ASD defect and demonstration of the IAS features following ASD closure. The ASD was shown as an echo dropout at the mid-portion of the septum in those patients examined in the present study in the horizontal cross-sections at the fourth intercostal space. The edge of the remaining IAS sharply demarcated and the defect was constantly demonstrated. In the postoperative patients, the IAS was recognized as a smooth series of echoes and the defect was no longer recognized. A notch echo was demonstrated in patients who underwent direct suture of the defect, and two notch echoes were recorded in patients who had a patch closure from a cardiac operation. The size of the defect at cardiac operation ranged from 1.5 to 5.0 cm with an average of 3.3 +/- 0.2 cm. The defect was slightly smaller on cross-sectional echocardiograms than at the time of operation. As the defect grew larger, the right ventricular dimension and the Qp/Qs became larger as well. Postoperatively, the right ventricular dimension was remarkably decreased, and the paradoxical movement of the interventricular septum (IVS) was normalized in the majority of the patients. Cross-sectional echocardiography is useful to diagnose ASD, to measure the size of the IAS defect, and to follow the clinical course.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged