Table 1
Cardiac abnormalities diagnosed on our unit by echocardiography
| Type of lesion | Comments |
|---|---|
| VSD (ventricular septal defect) | Small ones may be missed if one scans too soon after delivery. Interrogation with colour and pulsed Doppler essential |
| ASD (atrial septal defect) | Subcostal four chamber view is best. Some may be just large patent foramen ovale. Measurements of size and T-artifactisation14 will help to differentiate. |
| AVSD (atrioventicular septal defect) | Look for the normal offsetting of the inlet valves; the tricuspid valve is usually set more apically than the mitral valve. |
| Fallot's tetralogy | One of these cases was missed in the earlier days and was transferred as a large VSD. |
| TGA (transposition of the great arteries) | |
| Pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum | |
| Interrupted aortic arch | Four limb oxygen saturations and blood pressures essential |
| Coarctation of the aorta | As above |
| Mild to moderate pulmonary stenosis | Colour and pulsed Doppler are useful. The former to detect and the latter to confirm. |
| Peripheral pulmonary stenosis with Noonan's syndrome | As above |
| Supra-aortic stenosis with William's syndrome | |
| TAPVD (total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage) | One case was misdiagnosed as another cyanotic lesion because I was in a hurry. Give yourself time. |
| Transient peripheral pulmonary stenosis | Usually postductal closure and often misdiagnosed as a “winking duct”.6 This is a physiological phenomenon. |
| Atrial flutter | Very impressive echo pictures. Atria look as if they are being oscillated. |
