[Ultrasonic cardiographic studies of heart size in atrial septal defect, combined mitral and aortic valve disease].

27 patients with following diagnoses were examined by ultrasound: ASD; Aortic valve disease; Mitral valve disease with predominant insufficiency; Mitral stenosis; right heart failure; patients without evidence of cardiac disease. The right ventricular dimension (RVD Index) was assessed representing the distance between the right ventricular epicardial echoes and echoes from the right side of the interventricular septum divided by the patient's body surface area, analogue measurements were done to obtain the left ventricular dimension (LVD Index). The ratio from LVD to RVD was calculated. The motion of the interventricular septum was classified as Normal, Abnormal A and Abnormal B, according to known criteria. Three groups of patients could be differentiated: Patients without cardiac disease; Patients with right ventricular enlargement and ASD; Patients with left ventricular enlargement with aortic and mitral valve disease. In patients with cardiac enlargement, echocardiography provides better information concerning the ratio of the left ventricular to the right ventricular diameter compared to a routine chest X ray.