Echocardiography as a Predicting Method in Diagnosis, Evaluation and Assessment of Children with Subvalvar Aortic Stenosis.
BACKGROUND
Obstruction to the left ventricular outflow of the heart may be above the aortic valve (5%), at the valve (74%), or in the subvalvar region (23%). These anomalies represent 3 to 6% of all patients with congenital heart defects (CHD), and it occurs more often in males (male-female ratio of 4:1).


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to determine the sensitivity and specificity of transthoracic echocardiography in diagnosis of discrete subaortic membrane, to determine convenient time for surgical intervention, and for identifying involvement of the aortic valve by subaortic shelf.


METHODS
A retrospective review of the medical records and echocardiograms of 18 patients [14 male (77%) and 4 female (23%)] with discrete subaortic membrane, aged 11 month to 12 years, with mean age of 5 years and 3 month, diagnosed at the Pediatric Clinic in Prishtina, during the period September, 1999 and December, 2010 were done.


RESULTS
Four patients, in neonatal age were operated from critical coarctation of the aorta and, initial signs of congestive heart failure were presented. 2 of them were operated in Belgrade, Serbia and 2 in Lausanne, Switzerland.


CONCLUSIONS
In all presented patients bicuspid aortic valve was noted, but none of them subaortic membrane was registered.
Division of Cardiology, Pediatric Clinic, University Clinical Center of Kosovo, Prishtina, Republic of Kosovo.
Ramush
R
Bejiqi
Main Center of Family Medicine, Prishtina, Republic of Kosovo.
Hana
H
Bejiqi
Division of Cardiology, Pediatric Clinic, University Clinical Center of Kosovo, Prishtina, Republic of Kosovo.
Ragip
R
Retkoceri
aortic stenosis; congenital heart disease; heart surgery; hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; subaortic membrane