Radiocirculography in congenital heart disease in children with intracardiac shunts

A modification of radiocirculography suitable for the investigation of children suffering from congenital heart disease was developed and tested in 55 children with intracardiac shunts. Comparison of data derived from radiocirculography with the data obtained by conventional cardiac catheterisation showed radiocirculography has a high degree of accuracy when it is used to assess shunt size. Pulmonary arterial and capillary pressures and pulmonary resistance values were derived from radiocirculography findings and compared with those obtained from catheterisation studies: only in children of school age could the two be closely correlated. In cyanotic heart disease morphological analysis of the radiocirculographic curves proved an especially helpful diagnostic aid. The close agreement between the assessment of aortic override when using angiography and radiocirculography was demonstrated.