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Echocardiographic segmental analysis in patients with an atrioventricular criss-cross
Jesús de Rubensfigueroa1, Julio Erdmenger Orellana, Luis Muñoz Castellanos
1Departamento de Ecocardiografía, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, México. derubens@hotmail.com
Insights
Echocardiography effectively characterizes atrioventricular criss-cross hearts, revealing common associated defects like ventricular septal defects. Segmental cardiac analysis via transthoracic echocardiography is feasible in these rare congenital heart conditions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Congenital Heart Disease
- Cardiac Imaging
Background:
- Atrioventricular criss-cross is a rare congenital heart anomaly.
- Understanding its echocardiographic features is crucial for diagnosis and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the echocardiographic characteristics of patients with atrioventricular criss-cross.
- To evaluate the utility of segmental cardiac morphological analysis in these patients.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of five patients with atrioventricular criss-cross.
- Transthoracic echocardiography for segmental cardiac morphological assessment.
Main Results:
- The study included five patients (0.6% of studies) with a mean age of 6 years and 3 months.
- Common findings included situs solitus, discordant atrioventricular connection (3/5), and double-outlet right ventricle (4/5).
- Ventricular septal defect was present in all patients; other anomalies included pulmonary stenosis and atrial septal defect.
Conclusions:
- Transthoracic echocardiography allows satisfactory segmental analysis in patients with atrioventricular criss-cross.
- This approach aids in characterizing the complex morphology and associated defects of this rare condition.
Abstract:
The aim of this study was to describe the echocardiographic characteristics of patients with an atrioventricular criss-cross who underwent segmental cardiac morphological analysis. The study involved five patients with a criss-cross heart (0.6% of the studies). The patients' average age was 6 years and 3 months. All patients presented with situs solitus. Three had a discordant atrioventricular connection and two had a concordant connection. In addition, four patients had a ventriculoarterial connection with a double-outlet right ventricle while one had a concordant connection. Two patients had superior-inferior ventricles. Other associated lesions included ventricular septal defect in all patients, pulmonary stenosis, persistent ductus arteriosus and atrial septal defect in three, pulmonary perforation in one, and a hypoplastic aortic arch in one. In these patients, segmental analysis can be carried out satisfactorily using transthoracic echocardiography.
