Systematic diagnostic method of two-dimensional echocardiography in congenital heart disease.

A two-dimensional echocardiographic (2-DE) method of segmental approach for diagnosis of congenital heart disease is presented. Firstly, the visceroatrial situs is determined, i.e., whether it is solitus, inversus, or ambiguous, by identifying the inferior vena cava to right atrium junction. Secondly, it is ascertained whether the ventricular loop is D-loop or L-loop. The ventricular loop is determined by identifying the internal structure of the right and left ventricles by 2-DE. Thirdly, the spatial relationships of the great arteries are determined by identifying the pulmonary artery and aorta. The pulmonary artery is identified by its branches, and the other artery is the aorta. Fourthly, the atrioventricular connection is determined as follows: (1) usual alignment, (2) criss-crossing, (3) straddling, (4) double inlet, and (5) unilateral atrioventricular valve atresia, by using an apical four-chamber echo view. Finally, the ventriculo-great arterial relationship is determined from the apical four-chamber echo view with a tilting maneuver or by echocardiographic recognition of the existence of the fibrous continuities. Following this echocardiographic "five-step approach," hemodynamic considerations should be included, and by integrating all the information the diagnosis of congenital heart disease is completed.