Objective: To investigate the value of echocardiography in the diagnosis of criss-cross heart (CCH).
Methods: Six cases diagnosed as CCH received echocardiography examination from April 2004 to December 2008. According to the methods and considerations of segmental analysis, the diagnosis was confirmed by echocardiography. The echocardiographic characteristics were compared with the results of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), cardiac catheterization and operation.
Results: Echocardiographic characteristics were: The visceroatrial situs was solitus in all patients. The atrioventricular connections were concordant in five patients and discordant in one. In all patients,The right ventricle was located superiorly and the left ventricle inferiorly. The ventriculoarterial junction was double-outlet right ventricle(DORV) in five patients and complete transposition of great arteries(CTGA)in one. Associated cardiac anomalies included that ventricular septal defect (VSD) (n=6), atrial septal defect (ASD) (n=5), pulmonary stenosis (n=3), pulmonary atresia (n=1). The echocardiographic characteristics of criss-cross heart were correspondent to the results of MRI, cardiac catheterization and operation.
Conclusion: The superior inferior positioning of the two ventricles and the atrio-ventricular crossing connections are the two important features of criss-cross heart on echocardiography.Echocardiography for the diagnosis of criss-cross heart has high accurate rate and has important value in clinical application.