OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the utility of multislice computed tomography (MSCT) in the evaluation of direction, location, and size of shunt flow in congenital heart disease. BACKGROUND: Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and conventional angiography has been used to evaluate congenital heart disease; however, some are invasive and some do not provide accurate information about the spatial relationship to other organs. METHODS: Three patients with typical presentation of ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, and patent ductus arteriosus were recruited. Enhanced MSCT (Light Speed Ultra 16, General Electric) was performed with a 1.25-mm slice thickness, helical pitch 3.25. Following intravenous injection of 100 ml of iodinated contrast material (350 mg I/ml) at a rate of 3 ml/s, CT scanning was performed with retrospective ECG-gated reconstruction at 5 s and 30 s after injection. RESULTS: In all cases the information of direction, location, and size of shunt flow including left-to-right and right-to-left shunt with spatial relationship to other organs could be obtained non-invasively. CONCLUSION: ECG-gated MSCT is a useful tool to evaluate congenital heart diseases with shunts.
OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the utility of multislice computed tomography (MSCT) in the evaluation of direction, location, and size of shunt flow in congenital heart disease. BACKGROUND: Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and conventional angiography has been used to evaluate congenital heart disease; however, some are invasive and some do not provide accurate information about the spatial relationship to other organs. METHODS: Three patients with typical presentation of ventricular septal defect, atrial septal defect, and patent ductus arteriosus were recruited. Enhanced MSCT (Light Speed Ultra 16, General Electric) was performed with a 1.25-mm slice thickness, helical pitch 3.25. Following intravenous injection of 100 ml of iodinated contrast material (350 mg I/ml) at a rate of 3 ml/s, CT scanning was performed with retrospective ECG-gated reconstruction at 5 s and 30 s after injection. RESULTS: In all cases the information of direction, location, and size of shunt flow including left-to-right and right-to-left shunt with spatial relationship to other organs could be obtained non-invasively. CONCLUSION: ECG-gated MSCT is a useful tool to evaluate congenital heart diseases with shunts.