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Updated: Aug 4, 2026
Echocardiographic Assessment of the Right Heart in Mice
Published on: November 28, 2013
[Echocardiographic study of corrected transposition (author's transl)]
Insights
Echocardiography can diagnose atrioventricular discordance in patients with corrected transposition of the great arteries. This study details specific echocardiographic findings for accurate diagnosis.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
Context:
- Corrected transposition of the great arteries (cTGA) is a complex congenital heart defect.
- Accurate diagnosis is crucial for patient management and outcomes.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the utility of M-mode and bidimensional echocardiography in diagnosing atrioventricular discordance in cTGA.
- To characterize echocardiographic features associated with different cardiac anatomies in cTGA.
Summary:
- Echocardiographic assessment of atrioventricular valves, ventriculo-arterial connections, and associated defects was performed in patients with cTGA.
- Specific findings included mitro-pulmonary continuity in discordant ventriculo-arterial connections and characteristic positions of the aorta and pulmonary artery.
- Contrast echocardiography aided in visualizing pulmonary artery anatomy.
Impact:
- Demonstrates the feasibility of diagnosing atrioventricular discordance using a systematic echocardiographic approach.
- Provides valuable insights into echocardiographic hallmarks of cTGA, aiding clinical diagnosis and further research.
Abstract:
We studied patients with corrected transposition of the great arteries by M and bidimensional echocardiography. Three patients in situs solitus and one in atrial situs inversus. The characteristics of the atrio-ventricular valves, and it's relation with other heart structures was determined, as well as the ventriculo-arterial connections and the presence of associated defects. The approximations employed were parasternal and suprasternal. The cases of discordant ventriculo-arterial connection in atrial situs solitus showed mitro-pulmonary continuity. In these cases the pulmonary artery, located in a right posterior situation with respect to the aorta, became intensely opaque when contrast material was injected in a peripheral vein. In atrial situs inversus, the aorta had a right and anterior position. We conclude that it is possible to establish the diagnosis of atrioventricular discordance by an adequate systematization of the echocardiographic recordings.
