title: Diagnosis of inferior sinus venosus atrial septal defects using transthoracic three-dimensional echocardiography.
abstract: The authors report the cases of 2 patients with symptoms and signs related to severe pulmonary hypertension. Two-dimensional echocardiography demonstrated defects in the posterior portion of the atrial septum. Transthoracic three-dimensional echocardiography clearly showed inferior sinus venosus atrial septal defects and their relationships with the inferior vena cava, the pulmonary vein, and the muscular border of the fossa ovalis. These 2 cases not only elucidate the potential value of transthoracic three-dimensional echocardiography in delineating the structural characteristics of unusual interatrial shunting but also remind clinicians to be aware of this potentially treatable cardiac defect during workup for pulmonary hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan. chenca@ntu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Chun-An
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Jou-Kou
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jui-Yu
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Hsao-Hsun
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Shyh-Jye
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Mei-Hwan
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D004452:Echocardiography; D019560:Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications*