Assessment of the ductus arteriosus in preterm infants utilizing suprasternal two-dimensional/doppler echocardiography

• Published in: Journal of the American College of Cardiology Vol. 5; no. 4; pp. 973 - 977
• Main Authors: Wesley Vick, G., Huhta, James C., Gutgesell, Howard P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.04.1985; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Aortography; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiology. Vascular system; Congenital heart diseases. Malformations of the aorta, pulmonary vessels and vena cava; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent - diagnosis; Ductus Arteriosus, Patent - physiopathology; Echocardiography - methods; Heart; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Premature; Medical sciences; Pulmonary Artery - physiopathology; Sternum; Human; Doppler ultrasound study; Premature; Echocardiography; Congenital; Heart disease; Ultrasonic investigation; Cardiovascular disease; Diagnostic; Infant; Ductus arteriosus; Two dimensional technique
• ISSN: 0735-1097; 1558-3597
• DOI: 10.1016/S0735-1097(85)80442-3

Evaluation for patent ductus arteriosus by both Doppler examination and direct two-dimensional echocardiography visualization has been reported in infants and children. However, visualization of a patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants with lung disease has been difficult. Using a recently developed 7.5 MHz mechanical scanner with interfaced two-dimensional directed pulsed Doppler ultrasonography, 36 examinations were performed from a suprasternal approach in 27 patients (age range 1 day to 3 months, mean 18 days; weight range 490 to 2,500 g, mean 1,260). Complete imaging for evaluation of patency of the ductus arteriosus was successful in 33 (92%) of 36 examinations, and imaging of the pulmonary end of the ductus arteriosus was successful in all. In 18 examinations, the ductus arteriosus was closed by both two-dimensional echocardiography and Doppler examination. In four cases the ductus arteriosus was widely patent by both two-dimensional echocardiography and Doppler examination. Eleven echocardiography examinations revealed a narrowed ductus arteriosus, and of these, 10 (91%) showed Doppler findings of patent ductus arteriosus. It is concluded that combined two-dimensional/Doppler echocardiography; assessment allows confident detection of both a large unrestrictive and a small, stenotic patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants with lung disease.