[Two cases of atrial septal defect diagnosed by two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography: comparison with other methods for detecting atrial septal defect].

We describe two cases of atrial septal defect(ASD) diagnosed by chance with two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography(2DD) which was carried out for another purpose. There were no findings characteristic of ASD such as systolic murmurs in the pulmonary area, incomplete right bundle branch block pattern on electrocardiograms, increased hilar shadow on chest films or increased right ventricular chamber diameter in two-dimensional echocardiography. However, the 2DD showed blood flow crossing through the atrial septum. Cardiac catheterization confirmed the presence of a small ASD. ASD diagnosed by 2DD alone without other classical characteristic signs of ASD indicates that the ASD is small and clinically insignificant as it is with Doppler valvular heart disease.