The possibilities of modern radiological modalities in aortic coarctation diagnosis and preoperative planning in infants and young age group children

Objective. Evaluation of diagnostic value of modern imaging modalities: trans-thoracic echocardiography (TTE), CT-angiography (CTA) and cardio-MRI in diagnosis and preoperative planning of aortic coarctation correction (CoA) in in infants and young age group children.

Materials and methods. 101 pediatric patients (aged 0 to 5 years) with CoA underwent TTE, 98 of them underwent CT, 30 – cardio MRI. On TTE, CTA and cardio-MRI aorta morphometry was performed. The most common anomalies associated with CoA (ventricular septal defect (VSD), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), aberrant right subclavian artery (ARSA), hypoplastic arch and brachiocephalic vessels anomalies) were assessed.

Results. The overall diagnostic accuracy of TTE, CT and cardiac-MRI in diagnosis of CoA were 89.1%, 95.9%, 86.7% respectively. There was no significant difference in the accuracy in detecting CoA between TTE, CT and MRI (p > 0.05). The accuracy of TTE in determining the brachiocephalic vessels anomalies, ARSA and arch hypoplasia was 84%, 93% and 85.3%, respectively. The accuracy of CT in determining the brachiocephalic vessels anomalies, ARSA and arch hypoplasia was 100%, 100% and 98% and cardio-MRI: 97.1%, 98.4% and 96.8%, respectively.

Conclusion. TTE is a widely available and safe method, it has a high diagnostic value in determining CoA. Due to limitations in visualization of all parts of the aortic arch and the detection of concomitant anomalies, TTE cannot be the final method in planning the CoA correction. CT and MRI of the heart, as a TTE, are effective methods in the diagnosis of CoA, however, in the assessment of extracardiac anomalies, they equally show a significantly more accurate result.

Taking into account the difficulties in conducting MRI of the heart in children under one year and younger age group, the need for a longer stay in anesthesia, the lack of additional diagnostically significant information in comparison with CT of the heart, cardio-MRI is not the method of choice in the primary diagnosis and preoperative planning of correction of CoA in children under one year and younger age group requiring the use of an anesthetic aid for the duration of the scan. Cardio-MRI may be the method of choice in preoperative planning of CoA in small children with absolute contraindications to the radiocontrast agent.

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