[Understanding and diagnosis of complex cardiopathies. I]

Even pediatricians and cardiologists the complex congenital heart disease is considered to be difficult chapter. The purpose of this review is to show that complex congenital heart disease is not difficult to understand it two avenues are followed: First, a detailed explanation of the methodology used for the segmental analysis is given; all possible segmental combinations are reviewed. Second, 5 basic rules for this analysis are proposed: symmetry of the first segment, a discordant intersegmentary connection, two discordant intersegmentary connections, absence or hypoplasia of one the elements of the ventricular or arterial segment and both components of the arterial segment join one instead of the two ventricles. If these concepts are mastered, the basis for a correct diagnosis and suitable treatment are established.