Comprehensive assessment of patent ductus arteriosus by echocardiography before transcatheter closure

Background: Anatomic type and angiographic measurements of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) are used to determine the suitability of transcatheter closure (TCC). The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether these PDA features can be obtained by 2-dimensional echocardiography (2DE). Methods: We retrospectively compared PDA measurements and type from 36 patients submitted to TCC between November 1995 and October 2000. Results: The patient age ranged between 2 months to 10.5 years (median = 1.2 years). A significant correlation was found between measurements of PDA minimal diameter (R2 = 0.88) and diameter at aortic ostium (R2 = 0.72); whereas a poor correlation existed between measurements of the ampulla length. The 2DE and angiographic PDA classification were concordant in 31 of 36 (86%) patients. Conclusion: Our data support the use of 2DE measurements of PDA minimal diameter and PDA diameter at the aortic end to assess suitability for TCC. In the majority of cases, PDA type can be diagnosed by 2DE.