title: Role of echocardiography on the evaluation of patent ductus arteriosus in newborns.
abstract: The echocardiogram is the preferred procedure in confirming the diagnosis and characterizing PDA. Doppler echocardiography proved more efficient than clinical examination in grading PDA and becomes essential in the evaluation of clinically significant ductal shunting. Four patterns of PDA shunt can be identified using pulsed Doppler echocardiography: pulmonary hypertension, growing pattern, pulsatile pattern, closing pattern. In this review we confirm that echocardiography can provide a reasonable as well as accurate prediction of the development of later clinically significant PDA by a combination of variables that are easy to measure and compare.
authors.affiliation: Division of Paediatric Cardiology, G. Brotzu Hospital, Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Tavera
authors.forename: Pier Paolo
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Bassareo
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Biddau
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Montis
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Neroni
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tumbarello
mesh_terms: D004374:Ductus Arteriosus, Patent / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007235:Infant, Premature, Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging