[A new anatomical approach to congenital valve diseases by three-dimensional echocardiography]

Congenital valvular heart disease in childhood is often complex. Conventional echocardiography provides two-dimensional views which require mental reconstruction for three-dimensional assessment. This problem may be solved by the use of three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography which obtains images of valves comparable to those seen at surgery. This was confirmed by 4 cases of congenital valvular heart disease studied by 3D echocardiography: stenotic bicuspid aortic valve disease, parachute mitral valve and two cases of mitral regurgitation in patients with atrioventricular canal. The 3D views of the aortic valve showed the commissural opening after percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty of the bicuspid valve. The surface of the aortic orifice and the surface of the two mitral leaflets were measured from 3D reconstructions. The longitudinal 3D view analysed the extension of the single obstructive mitral papillary muscle of the parachute malformation. The 3D ventricular views allowed assessment of the extension of the cleft and the surface of the three mitral leaflets of the 2 cases of atrioventricular canal. In one of these cases, the results of surgical valvuloplasty were evaluated after 3D reconstruction of the valve. 3D echocardiography is not only a diagnostic tool for congenital heart disease but also a very useful complementary investigation for accurate evaluation of congenital valvular lesions to optimise possible valve repair.