Radionuclide angiography in the evaluation of ductal shunts in preterm infants.

Radionuclide angiograms were compared with radiographic and physical findings and with echocardiographic left atrial to aortic ratios in 30 neonates clinically suspected of having a persistent ductus arteriosus. In three infants without clinical signs and with normal LA/Ao ratios (10%), radionuclide angiograms provided evidence of a large left-to-right shunt, which was confirmed by the finding of a large ducts arteriosus at surgery. Whereas routine physical, radiographic, and echocardiographic criteria fail to identify some neonates with large PDA's, the present study suggests that radionuclide angiography can be performed in a neonatal intensive care unit setting and may be a valuable addition to currently employed diagnostic techniques.