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Updated: May 20, 2026
Morphological and Functional Assessment of the Right Ventricle Using 3D Echocardiography
Published on: October 28, 2020
Evaluation of atrioventricular septal defects by three-dimensional echocardiography: benefits of navigating the third
Shelby Kutty1, Jeffrey F Smallhorn
1University of Nebraska/Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, 8200 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE 68114, USA. skutty@unmc.edu
Insights
Atrioventricular septal defects are common congenital heart conditions. This review highlights how three-dimensional echocardiography improves diagnosis, especially for complex atrioventricular valve issues, over traditional methods.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
- Pediatric Heart Disease
Background:
- Atrioventricular septal defects (ASDs) are a spectrum of congenital heart conditions involving incomplete septation.
- These defects are frequently diagnosed in pediatric cardiology practice.
- Variability exists in valve morphology and septal communications within ASDs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the diagnostic utility of three-dimensional echocardiography for atrioventricular septal defects.
- To compare the effectiveness of 3D echocardiography with standard 2D echocardiography for evaluating ASDs.
- To emphasize the role of advanced echocardiography in assessing atrioventricular valve malformations.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on echocardiographic evaluation of atrioventricular septal defects.
- Analysis of the advantages of three-dimensional echocardiography in visualizing complex cardiac anatomy.
- Comparison of diagnostic accuracy between 2D and 3D echocardiography for ASDs.
Main Results:
- Standard two-dimensional echocardiography may be suboptimal for detailed morphologic and functional assessment of ASDs.
- Three-dimensional echocardiography offers superior visualization of atrioventricular valve morphology and septal defects.
- 3D echocardiography enhances the understanding of complex atrioventricular septal defect variations.
Conclusions:
- Three-dimensional echocardiography is a valuable tool for the comprehensive evaluation of atrioventricular septal defects.
- It provides critical insights into atrioventricular valve anomalies often missed by 2D echocardiography.
- Enhanced imaging with 3D echocardiography can improve diagnostic accuracy and patient management for ASDs.
Abstract:
Atrioventricular septal defects comprise a disease spectrum characterized by deficient atrioventricular septation, with several common features seen in all affected hearts and variability in atrioventricular valve morphology and interatrial and interventricular communications. Atrioventricular septal defects are among the more common defects encountered by pediatric cardiologists and echocardiographers. Despite advances in understanding, standard two-dimensional echocardiography may not be the optimal method for the morphologic and functional evaluation of this lesion, particularly malformations of the atrioventricular valve(s). In this review, the authors summarize the role of three-dimensional echocardiography in the diagnostic evaluation of atrioventricular septal defects.
