Univentricular heart: An angiographic study

Axial angiograms of 54 patients with a univentricular heart were reviewed to determine the anatomic details demonstrated by this technique. The main ventricular chamber was of left ventricular morphology in 36, right ventricular morphology in 13 and indeterminate in 5 patients. Forty-three patients had a rudimentary ventricular chamber that was supporting a great artery in 35 patients. Eighteen patients had separate atrioventricular (A-V) valves. In four of them, one A-V valve was overriding the trabecular septum, but predominantly committed to the main ventricular chamber. Eleven patients had a single right and 13 a single left A-V valve; a common A-V valve was present in 12.The techniques used provided good demonstration of the morphology of the ventricular mass, particularly the position and orientation of a septum when present. They also delineated the morphology of the A-V valve or valves and their precise ventricular connection. Ventriculoarterial connections and relations were readily determined. It is concluded that these methods are superior to isolated frontal and lateral views and provide thorough demonstration of the intracardiac anatomy of patients with a univentricular heart.