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The essential echocardiographic features of tetralogy of Fallot*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 January 2014

Norman H. Silverman*
Affiliation:
Division of Pediatric Cardiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, United States of America Department of pediatrics, Division of pediatric cardiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
*
Correspondence to: N. H. Silverman, MD, DSc (Med), Division of Pediatric Cardiology, M 306, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94303, United States of America. Tel: 415 353 1887; Fax: 415 353 8675; E-mail: norman.silverman@ucsf.edu

Abstract

This presentation will demonstrate the essential features of tetralogy of Fallot in the infant and child before surgery, as well as some noteworthy features in the foetus. The four features, namely, subpulmonary stenosis, ventricular septal defect, aortic override, and right ventricular hypertrophy, can all be easily demonstrated by echocardiography. In addition, morphology of the pulmonary valve and the main and branch pulmonary arteries can be seen. The position of the coronary arteries and the major variants of proximal coronary anatomy can be defined. The arch anatomy and the presence of associated major aortopulmonary collateral arteries can be defined. All these features can be demonstrated in the foetus as well, after the first trimester, and the presence of major aortopulmonary collateral arteries can be seen more clearly because the lungs, being fluid filled, aid in ultrasound and do not provide the barrier that the air-filled lung presents after birth.

Type
Original Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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Footnotes

*

Presented at “The Birth of Heart Surgery: Lessons Learned from Tetralogy – Past, Present and Future” Dinner Symposium Sponsored by Johns Hopkins Medicine and All Children's Hospital, Thursday, February 21, 2013, at The Sixth World Congress of Paediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, Cape Town International Convention Centre, Cape Town, South Africa, February 17 – 22, 2013. A video of this presentation can be viewed at the following hyperlink: [http://www.allkids.org/wcpccs].

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