Impact of multiplanar review of three-dimensional echocardiographic data on management of congenital heart disease.
BACKGROUND
In patients with congenital cardiac malformations, accurate diagnosis is critical in diagnosis and management. The multiplanar review mode (MPR) allows the operator to cut three-dimensional (3D) echocardiographic data sets in infinite planes, and to review the moving image in three simultaneous orthogonal planes. We sought to describe the clinical utility of MPR of 3D echocardiography for analysis of congenitally malformed hearts.


METHODS
Cross-sectional and 3D MPR echocardiography was performed in 300 patients with congenitally malformed hearts.


RESULTS
Analysis in multiplanar mode was possible in all patients. New, clinically important information, which altered management or changed the principal diagnosis, was obtained in 32 (11%) cases. This determined suitability for biventricular repair in 11 patients, clarified the morphology of atrioventricular valves in 7, helped in assessment of aortic, mitral, or prosthetic valvar disease in 13, and identified a vascular ring in the other patient.


CONCLUSIONS
3D MPR is feasible in the setting of the congenitally malformed heart, permitting focused and in-depth analysis. This substantially improves the understanding of functional morphology, above the information derived from cross-sectional echocardiography. We recommend the use of the 3D format with MPR for patients with complex congenital cardiac disease.
Bharucha
Tara
T
Congenital Cardiac Centre, Southampton University Hospital Trust, Southampton, United Kingdom.
Roman
Kevin S
KS
Anderson
Robert H
RH
Vettukattil
Joseph J
JJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006351:Heart Valves / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008875:Middle Aged; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging