Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2026
Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
Published on: February 8, 2022
[Echocardiographic evaluation of ventricular septal defect haemodynamics]
Insights
Ventricular septal defect (VSD) impacts heart dimensions, with larger defects affecting pulmonary artery size. Left ventricular dimensions show a significant relationship with body surface area in children with VSD.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Congenital Heart Disease
- Echocardiography
Background:
- Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a common congenital heart defect, affecting 30-50% of patients with congenital heart disease.
- VSD involves an opening in the interventricular septum, leading to potential hemodynamic alterations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between body surface area and cardiac dimensions (left ventricular diastolic dimension - LVD, left ventricular systolic dimension - LVS, shortening fraction - SF, left atrium - LA, pulmonary artery truncus - TPA) in children with VSD.
- To compare these echocardiographic parameters between experimental (VSD requiring surgery), control (VSD not requiring surgery), and healthy children.
- To analyze the maximal systolic gradient pressure (Pvsd) across the VSD.
Main Methods:
- Children were categorized into three groups: experimental (n=32), control (n=20), and healthy (n=40).
- Echocardiographic measurements of LVD, LVS, SF, LA, and TPA were performed following American Echocardiographic Association guidelines.
- Pvsd was calculated using the formula Pvsd = 4 x V², where V is the maximal flow velocity in the VSD.
Main Results:
- In the experimental group, body surface area explained significant variability in LVD (56.85%), LVS (66.15%), and TPA (58.92%), but not SF (4.9%).
- In the control group, body surface area strongly correlated with LVD (88.8%) and LVS (72.5%), with minimal correlation for SF (0.42%).
- Healthy children showed strong correlations between body surface area and LVD (88.8%), LVS (88.78%), and TPA (84.75%), but not SF (5.25%). A significant difference in Pvsd was observed between experimental and control groups (p < 0.02).
Conclusions:
- Large VSDs influence the enlargement of LVD, LVS, SF, and TPA.
- Pulmonary artery enlargement is associated with VSD presence and shunt magnitude.
- A significant relationship exists between LVS, LVD, and body surface area, while SF shows no significant dependence on body surface area.
Introduction:
Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is an opening in the interventricular septum. 30-50% of patients with congenital heart disease have VSD.
Objective:
The aim of the study was to determine the dependence of the left ventricular diastolic dimension (LVD), left ventricular systolic dimension (LVS), shortening fraction (SF), left atrium (LA), pulmonary artery truncus (TPA) on the body surface and compare their values among experimental, control and a group of healthy children. Values of maximal systolic gradient pressure (Pvsd) of VSD were compared with children from one experimental and control group.
Method:
Children were divided into three groups: experimental (32 children with VSD that were to go to surgery), control (20 children with VSD who did not require surgery) and 40 healthy children. Measurements of LVD, LVS, SF, LA, TPA were performed in accordance to recommendations of the American Echocardiographic Association. The value of Pvsd was calculated from the maximal flow velocity (V) in VSD using the following formula: Pvsd = 4 x V2 (mm Hg).
Results:
For children from the experimental group, the relationship between the body surface and the variability of the LVD was explained with 56.85%, LVS with 66.15%, SF with 4.9%, TPA with 58.92%. For children from the control group, the relationship between the body surface and the variability of LVD was explained with 88.8%, LVS with 72.5%, SF with 0.42%, PA with 58.92%. For healthy children, the relationship between the body surface and the variabilitiy of the LVD was explained with 88.8%, LVS with 88.78%, SF with 5.25% and PA with 84.75%. There was a significant statistical difference between average values of Pvsd in the experimental and control group (p < 0.02).
Conclusion:
The presence of the large VSD has an influence on the enlargement of LVD, LVS, SF,TPA. The enlargment of the size of the pulmonary artery depends on the presence of VSD and there is a direct variation in the magnitude of the shunt. There is a relationship and significant dependence of the LVS and LVD on the body surface. There is no statistically significant dependence between SF and body surface.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System II:Types of Echocardiography
Types of Echocardiography
Transthoracic Echocardiography (TTE)
TTE is the most common type of echocardiogram which involves placing a transducer on the patient's chest, emitting sound waves to create heart images. TTE is invaluable for evaluating the heart's size, structure, and motion, making it particularly useful for diagnosing...
01:17Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System I:Echocardiography
Indications: Echocardiography is utilized to diagnose heart failure, valve disorders, and myocardial infarction. It also assesses cardiac structures' size, shape, and motion, evaluates...