Double-inlet ventricle in Chinese patients.

This study was performed to elucidate the anatomic features of double-inlet ventricle in the Chinese population. The echocardiograms of 60 Chinese patients diagnosed as having double-inlet ventricle were reviewed and analyzed. Both atria were connected to a dominant right ventricle in 36 patients (60%), to a dominant left ventricle in 17 (28%) and to an indeterminate ventricle in 7 (12%). Right atrial isomerism was present in 30 patients (83%) with double-inlet right ventricle, in 5 (29%) with double-inlet left ventricle, and in 6 (86%) with double-inlet indeterminate ventricle. Right atrial isomerism was more frequently associated with double-inlet right and indeterminate ventricles (p < 0.01; chi-square). Common atrioventricular valve was frequently present in both double-inlet right and indeterminate ventricles. Double-outlet main chamber was the predominant type of ventriculoarterial connection in double-inlet right and indeterminate ventricles. Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection was found exclusively in 9 patients with right atrial isomerism (5 with double inlet right and 4 with double-inlet indeterminate ventricles). In contrast to other reports, this series found double-inlet right ventricle to be the predominant type of double-inlet ventricle. This discrepancy may be due to a greater prevalence of right atrial isomerism that is usually associated with double-inlet right ventricle in Chinese patients.