Non-invasive assessment of pulmonary artery pressure in patients with isolated ventricular septal defect

ABSTRACT

Quantification of pulmonary artery pressure in patients with ventricular septal defect [VSD] is essential in clinical or surgical management. Systolic pulmonary artery pressure [SPAP] was estimated by 3 methods: Estimation of the pressure drop [DP] across VSD using continuous wave Doppler [CWD] guided by color flow mapping [CFM], pulmonary flow velocity curve, right ventricular isovolumic relaxation time [RVIT] using phonocardiography and tricuspid diastolic flow, then predicted SPAP is derived from Burstin's monogram. 35 patients aged 2-24 years [mean +/- SD 8.3 +/- 5.2] with VSD were studied by 2D echo-CWD/CFM within 72 hours of cardiac catheterization [CC]. The use of RVIT proved to be the best method to predict SPAP in the absence of severe TR. The other methods are effective when tricuspid regurgitation is severe