Assessment of Atrial Septum Morphology by Live Three-dimensional Echocardiography

• Published in: Journal of Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Medical sciences Vol. 27; no. 6; pp. 687 - 690
• Main Author: 方凌云 谢明星 王新房 蒲朝霞 杨亚利 贺林 周小燕
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: China Department of Ultrasonography, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430022, China 01.12.2007
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Atrial Septum - diagnostic imaging; Child; Child, Preschool; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional - methods; Female; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial - diagnostic imaging; Heart Septal Defects, Atrial - pathology; Humans; Male; Young Adult; 三维超声波心动描记法; 形态结构; 心脏病; 心脏隔膜缺损; atrial septum; live three-dimensional echocardiography; atrial septal defects
• ISSN: 1672-0733; 1993-1352
• DOI: 10.1007/s11596-007-0618-8

To evaluate the morphology of atrial septum by the live three-dimensional echocardiography （L3DE） and its value of clinical application, L3DE was performed in 62 subjects to observe the morphological characteristics and dynamic change of the overall anatomic structure of atrial septum. The study examined 49 patients with atrial septal defect （ASD）, including 3 patients with atrial septal aneurysm, and 10 healthy subjects. ASD in the 35 patients was surgically confirmed. The maximal diameters of ASD were measured and the percentages of area change were calculated. The parameters derived from L3DE were compared with intraoperative measurements. The results showed that L3DE could directly and clearly display the morphological features of overall anatomic structure of normal atrial septum, repaired and artificially-occluded atrial septum, atrial septal aneurysm. The defect area in ASD patients changed significantly during cardiac cycle, which reached a maximum at end-systole and a minimum at end-diastole, with a mean change percentage of 46.6%, ranging from 14.8% to 73.4%. The sizes obtained from L3DE bore an excellent correlation with intraoperative findings （r=0.90）. It is concluded that L3DE can clearly display the overall morphological features and dynamic change of atrial septum and measure the size of ASD area accurately, which is important in the decision to choose therapeutic protocols.