[An analysis of the plain chest films of 109 children with atrial septal defect. The correlation between different radiological criteria and shunt size (author's transl)].

Radiograms of the chest (p.a.--and lateral projection) of 109 children with atrial septal defect taken before cardiac catheterisation have been evaluated under standardized principles; correlation between size of the left-to-right shunt and the radiographic changes has been performed. The examiner evaluated at random radiographs of 213 subjects, of whom 104 had no cardiac disease. Besides the determination of several radiographic criteria the examiner had to decide whether the subject in question had cardiac abnormalities or not. There has been a statistically significant correlation between the size of shunt-volume and the amount of radiographic changes as: 1. pulmonary vascular markings, 2. size of the right ventricle in the lateral projection, 3. cardiac configuration in the p.a.-projection, 4. relative cardiac volume, 5. size and shape of the pulmonary artery segment, 6. size of the aortic arch. The highest diagnostic value is represented by pulmonary vascular markings; this is of great importance. Because pulmonary vascular markings can be in any age group evaluated on technically good radiographs. 78% of the atrial septal defects could be detected by radiographic criteria. In 5% of the children with no cardiac disease a vitium cordis had been diagnosed erroneously.