Measurement of Diameter of Patent Ductus Arteriosus by Echocardiography and Its Clinical Significance

Objective To evaluate the accuracy in measurement of the diameter of patent ductus arteriosus(PDA) by echocardiography combined with cineangiography. Methods The proximal and minimal diameters of PDA were measured by two\|dimensional echocardiography(2DE) and color Doppler flow imaging(CDFI) in 44 patients(18 males, 26 females), aged 10.8±10.5. The measurement was compared in the size of selected occluders by two examinating method. Results The successful rate to interrogating anatomical details of PDA by 2DE and CDFI was 57% and 100%, respectively. The diameter of PDA assessed by 2DE was significantly smaller than that by cineangiography and the size of selected occluders also; the diameters of PDA determined by CDFI and cineangiography was not significantly different, but the size of selected occluders was 2.9 mm smaller than the measurement of cineangiography. Conclusion CDFI is more accurate than 2DE in the measurement of the diameter of PDA, CDFI may partially replace cineangiography in the selection of the dimension of PDA occluders.\;