[Color-coded Doppler echocardiography in an infant with an aortopulmonary window. A pre- and postoperative study]

The clinical value of the new two-dimensional color Doppler echocardiography (2D-color Doppler) for the non-invasive visualization of shunting across the aorticopulmonary window (APW) in a 5-month-old infant is described. The quality of the color-coded bloodflow mapping may be equal to that of angiography. The sensitivity of the method is demonstrable by the minimal diastolic shunt across the operated APW. The 2D-color Doppler may enhance the diagnostic impact of 2D-echocardiography, especially by improving diagnostic accuracy non-invasively in critically ill infants.