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Rao. Vessel Plus 2022;6:26 Vessel Plus
DOI: 10.20517/2574-1209.2021.93

Review Open Access

Echocardiography: an overview - Part III

P. Syamasundar Rao

Children’s Heart Institute, University of Texas at Houston, McGovern Medical School and Children's Memorial Hermann
Hospital, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Correspondence to: P. Syamasundar Rao, MD, University of Texas at Houston, McGovern Medical School, 6410 Fannin Street,
Suite #425, Houston, TX 77030, USA. E-mail: P.Syamasundar.Rao@uth.tmc.edu
How to cite this article: Rao PS. Echocardiography: an overview - Part III. Vessel Plus 2022;6:26.
https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2574-1209.2021.93
Received: 1 Jul 2021 First Decision: 20 Jan 2022 Revised: 27 Jan 2022 Accepted: 1 Mar 2022 Published: 29 Apr 2022

Academic Editor: Frank W. Sellke Copy Editor: Xi-Jun Chen Production Editor: Xi-Jun Chen

Abstract
This review describes echocardiographic features of commonly encountered cyanotic congenital heart defects.
Echo-Doppler characteristics of more commonly seen defects: tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of the great
arteries, tricuspid atresia, total anomalous pulmonary venous connection, and truncus arteriosus were first
discussed. Then, hypoplastic left heart syndrome followed by less commonly observed lesions such as double-
outlet right ventricle, double-inlet left ventricle, interrupted aortic arch, pulmonary atresia with an intact ventricular
septum, congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries, Ebstein’s anomaly of the tricuspid valve, and
mitral atresia with normal aortic root were reviewed.

Keywords: Echocardiography, Doppler, tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of the great arteries, tricuspid atresia, total
anomalous pulmonary venous connection, truncus arteriosus, hypoplastic left heart syndrome

INTRODUCTION
In Part I of this review, principles of echo-Doppler studies, the methods of recording echocardiographic
studies, methods of appraisal of pressures in the pulmonary artery (PA), assessment of left, right and single
ventricular systolic function, and illustration of the usefulness of echo studies in evaluating multiple
neonatal issues were described. In Part II, echocardiographic features of commonly seen acyanotic heart
defects were reviewed. In this Part III, I will present a succinct review of echocardiographic findings of
cyanotic congenital heart defects (CHDs). A concise portrayal of each defect’s pathology and altered
physiology will be presented first, followed by the echocardiographic findings. Most cyanotic CHDs are

© The Author(s) 2022. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
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