The Conventional Roentgen Examination in Operable Congenital Heart Disease

Abstract

The author presents the roentgenographic findings in Fallot''s tetralogy, right aortic arch, tricuspid atresia, persistent truncus arteriosus, Eisenmenger''s complex, isolated pulmonic stenosis, patent ductus arteriosus, interatrial and interventricular septal defects, and in coarctation of the aorta. He states that only 14 of 50 cases of tetralogy of Fallot had "sabot" shaped hearts, most had small hilar vessels, while 10 of 50 had an increase in the size of vessels extending beyond the hila, which was interpreted as being caused by a collateral arterial supply. Only one of 12 cases of right aortic arch had a high crossing to the left with typical esophageal displacement anteriorly. Only 5 of the 90 cases with patent ductus arteriosus had no prominent pulmonary artery; 90 percent had only moderate cardiac enlargement and 25 of the 90 had slight left auricular enlargement. Left auricular enlargement was present in interatrial septal defects when mitral stenosis (Lutembacher syndrome) was present.