Echocardiographic detection of atrial septal defects: the forgotten view.

The right parasternal view is conventionally used to assess the aortic valve and the ascending aorta. We describe two cases in which the right parasternal view was helpful in assessment of the interatrial septum and the detection of atrial septal defects (ASD), including one case in which this view confirmed the presence of a defect not seen in any other echocardiographic view. Use of the right parasternal view should be considered for assessment of the interatrial septum, particularly when there is a high index of suspicion for an atrial septal defect but no defect is seen on conventional views. It should also be used to exclude the possibility of multiple defects even when an ASD is visualized using conventional imaging planes.