The importance of echocardiography in the diagnosis and treatment of ostium secundum-type atrial septal defect.

Ostium secundum-type atrial septal defect (osASD) is one of the most common congenital heart defects. Treatment of these defects was revolutionized by the introduction of percutaneous closure. Echocardiography has a major role in the evaluation and treatment of this disease. The authors review the role of this imaging technique in diagnosis and in treatment decisions, as well as its advantages in monitoring and follow-up of percutaneous closure. In this context, we present our center's experience with different types of echocardiography, namely transthoracic, transesophageal and intracardiac, in closure of osASD.