[Basal left anterior oblique projection in 2-dimensional echocardiography: its usefulness in defects of the atrioventricular septum].

The defects of the A-V septum have been recently classified into classes with separate orifices and classes with common orifice on the basis of the presence or not of a tissue tongue which joins the two bridging anterior and posterior leaflets as single differential feature. The diagnostic usefulness of the subxiphoid projection by conventionally called left oblique anterior basal has been evaluated. It indicates in a single plan-section the two bridging leaflets together with the connecting tongue. In 18 cases of defect of A-V septum echo-angiographic correlation was made. The 2D-echo diagnosed in 10 cases a defect of A-V septum with common orifice and in 8 cases a defect of A-V septum with separate orifices. On the contrary the angiocardiography pointed out in 9 cases a defect of A-V septum with separate orifices. Ten of the eighteen patients examined underwent an operation, which has always confirmed the echocardiographical diagnosis; even in the unique case of echo-angio disagreement the diagnosis of 2D-echo was confirmed. Therefore we propose the above-mentioned projection in order to obtain a more accurate non invasive definition in the defects of A-V septum.