Second natural history study of congenital heart defects. Pulmonary stenosis: echocardiography.
BACKGROUND
Two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography can provide information about valve morphology, right ventricular size and function, and hemodynamics in patients with pulmonary stenosis. Therefore, two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiographic examinations were performed on patients with pulmonary stenosis returning for the Second Natural History Study of Congenital Heart Defects.


RESULTS
Three hundred twenty-five patients with pulmonary stenosis underwent two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiographic examinations. Of these, 115 were in the medically treated group, and 210 had undergone a previous operation. Patients in the valvotomy group had a higher incidence of right ventricular dysfunction and a larger right ventricular diastolic dimension. The valvotomy group had a lower pulmonary valve mean gradient and a lower right ventricular systolic pressure than the medically treated group. For all patients, there was no significant correlation of the echocardiographic variables with the presence or absence of symptoms, reflecting the low incidence of patients with cardiac decompensation.


CONCLUSIONS
These observations provide an objective measurement for assessing the status of the pulmonary valve and right ventricular response in patients with pulmonary stenosis. Limitations of echocardiography in this study are discussed.
Nishimura
R A
RA
Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. 55905.
Pieroni
D R
DR
Bierman
F Z
FZ
Colan
S D
SD
Kaufman
S
S
Sanders
S P
SP
Seward
J B
JB
Tajik
A J
AJ
Wiggins
J W
JW
Zahka
K G
KG
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004452:Echocardiography; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011664:Pulmonary Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011666:Pulmonary Valve Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014262:Tricuspid Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right