Current controversies in the diagnosis and treatment of patent ductus arteriosus in preterm infants.

This article presents common misconceptions about the physiologic significance of early ductal shunting and reviews the evidence regarding the preferential use of echocardiography rather than reliance on clinical signs to diagnose patent ductus arteriosus. The rationale for the treatment of symptomatic versus presymptomatic versus prophylactic is compared and contrasted. Finally, a novel but untested treatment approach, using early echocardiographic findings to direct treatment decisions, is proposed as a direction for future research.