[Fixed subvalvular aortic stenosis. Monodimensional echocardiographic findings]

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Medical Imaging
• Pediatric Cardiology

Context:

• Discrete subvalvular aortic stenosis (DSAS) is a congenital heart defect.
• Accurate diagnosis and characterization are crucial for management.
• M-mode echocardiography is a non-invasive imaging technique used in cardiology.

Purpose:

• To evaluate the utility of M-mode echocardiography in diagnosing and characterizing discrete subvalvular aortic stenosis.
• To identify specific echocardiographic patterns associated with DSAS.
• To explore the relationship between echocardiographic findings and anatomical features or severity of DSAS.

Summary:

• Nineteen patients with DSAS underwent M-mode echocardiography.
• The most common finding was abnormal protosystolic movement of aortic valve leaflets (100% of cases).
• A linear echo in the left ventricular outflow tract was seen in 50% of cases, with narrowing in 40%.

Impact:

• M-mode echocardiography can detect characteristic patterns of DSAS, particularly abnormal aortic valve motion.
• Echocardiographic findings like left ventricular outflow tract narrowing were observed but did not correlate with stenosis severity.
• This study highlights echocardiography's role in DSAS diagnosis, while acknowledging limitations in predicting severity.