Value of echocardiography in routine diagnostic use during the first year of life.

100 consecutive patients with symptoms indicating heart disease during the 1st yr of life were studied with M-mode echocardiography. The echocardiographic diagnosis was compared with the final diagnosis based on heart catheterization, angiocardiography, operation, autopsy or follow-up of the patient. An echocardiographic examination could be made in all infants. The most important intracardiac structures when present could be identified with the following frequencies: mitral valve 100%, tricuspid valve 97%, aortic valve 95%, pulmonic valve 79%, interventricular septum 94%. The echocardiographic investigation gave a correct diagnosis in 26% of the patients, made an important contribution to the diagnosis in 22%, made some contribution to the diagnosis in 34%, ruled out important diagnostic questions in 5% and did not contribute to the diagnosis in 13% of the patients. This investigation has shown that echocardiography, when used as a first diagnostic step in a routine manner, can give much valuable diagnostic information.