Echocardiography and imaging investigation in congenital cardio-vascular anomalies - competition or complementarity? Part I: non-cyanogenic cardiovascular malformations.

Echocardiography is the first technique used for diagnosing cardiovascular malformations (CVM). The results are often completed with multi-detector computer tomography (MDCT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for confirming/ invalidating an abnormal pulmonary venous return in the case of atrial septal defect (ASD) or for the exact interpretation of cardiac function in pre/post-surgery cases with ASD, ventricular septal defect (VSD), and Fallot tetralogy. MDCT and MRI play an important role in the precise and complete diagnosis of Fallot tetralogy, in the anomalies of the right heart cavities and the arterial and venous pulmonary tree, the anomalies of the emergence and course of the coronary arteries, aortic coarctation and developmental anomalies of the aortic arch and supraaortic trunks. The complementarity of echocardiography with MDCT and MRI, in order to obtain details and to avoid invasive procedures and also the cooperation between the pediatrician, cardiologist, surgeon and radiologist, represent the key to the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular malformations, for the benefit of the patient.