Comparison between transthoracic echocardiography and cardiac catheterization in measuring diameter of patent ductus arteriosus and accessing pulmonary artery pressure

Objectives To evaluate the relevance between transthoracic echocardiography(TTE)and cardiac catheterization in measuring diameter of patent ductus arteriosus(PDA)and assessing pulmonary artery pressure. Methods The diameter of PDA and the pulmonary artery pressure in 61 patients were observed by TTE and cardiac catheterization. Results These diameters of PDA and pulmonary artery pressure measurements by TTE and cardiac catheterization showed excellent correlation (P 0.05). The narrowest diameters of PDA measured by TTE were significantly longer than that measured by aortic angiography in cardiac catheterization(P 0.05). But the pulmonary artery pressure assessed by TTE were significantly lower than that measured by cardiac catheterization(P 0.05). Conclusions TTE and cardiac catheterization for measuring diameter of PDA and pulmonary artery pressure show excellent correlation, but they are some different. TTE plays an important role in selecting patients and evaluating efficiency of PDA occlusion.