Clinical applications of real-time two-dimensional scanning in congenital heart disease.

Real-time two-dimensional visualization of cardiac anatomy has been a major advance in the noninvasive evaluation of congenital heart disease. Performed from precordial or suprasternal notch sites, the techniques allow noninvasive evaluation of the cardiac chambers, atrioventricular valves, and great arteries for the diagnosis of common and complex forms of congenital heart disease. Two-dimensional real-time echocardiography, therefore, can be expected to become an integral part of the noninvasive diagnosis and serial followup of children and infants with congenital heart disease.