Congenital heart disease

Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography can provide an accurate description of various congenital heart diseases, as well as shunt and valve pathology. The introduction of real-time 3D echocardiography has led to its use in everyday clinical practice in the field of congenital heart disease. The 3D matrix probe enables the instantaneous acquisition of transthoracic volumes. Fetal 3D echocardiography is now available. Quantitative measurement of ventricular volumes could be obtained by 3D echocardiography. The utilization of the matrix probe should lead to routine use of 3D echocardiography, as for the 2D and Doppler methods. Its results should be decisive in many congenital cardiac lesions requiring surgery or interventional catheterization. This chapter is divided into three parts: (1) septal defects, (2) valve pathologies, and (3) fetal 3D echocardiography.