Abstract

QUINTERO, Iván F. et al. Echocardiographic assessment of valve prostheses in the pediatric population. Rev. Colomb. Cardiol. [online]. 2014, vol.21, n.1, pp.60-67. ISSN 0120-5633.

In children with significant valvular insufficiency or stenosis, valve surgery, either valvuloplasty or valve replacement is usually inevitable. The monitoring of these patients can be complex, the initial symptoms of prosthetic valve dysfunction are nonspecific and sometimes difficult to differentiate between the effects of valvular dysfunction, non-cardiac pathologies, ventricular dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension. Although physical examination may alert the clinician about alterations, other diagnostic methods to assess the function of the prosthesis is required. Doppler echocardiography is the noninvasive method of choice to study valvular function and although many of the measurements and parameters of normality and abnormality are extrapolated from adult studies have been attempted to define standards in pediatric patients. This document provides an overview about the techniques used in the study of prosthetic valves based on scientific literature, international consensus and expert opinion.

Keywords : cardiology; valvular prosthesis; Echocardiography.

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