Neonates with congenital heart disease: an overview

The chest x-ray can be a valuable tool as part of the initial evaluation of a neonate with clinical signs of congenital heart disease. The radiographic appearance of pulmonary vascularity, as well as cardiac size and configuration, can provide information about the pathophysiologic effect of a cardiac lesion. Along with clinical evaluation of the infant, information gathered from the x-ray may be helpful in indicating which cardiac defect is involved. However, final identification of a defect would require further evaluation by echocardiogram or cardiac catheterization.