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Aim: To summarize our experience in echocardiographic diagnosis of aortic arch anomalies in pediatric patients. Materials and methods: A retrospective assessment of echocardiographic findings in Echo-Lab patients of the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Department, who were diagnosed with an anomalous aortic arch between 2003 and 2018. Results: The diagnosis of an abnormal course of the aortic arch and/or its branches was established in 115 children aged between 4 days and 17 years. The following types of anomalies were detected: left aortic arch with aberrant right subclavian artery in 42 patients; right aortic arch with left brachiocephalic trunk in 14 patients; right aortic arch, aberrant left subclavian artery in 36 patients; double aortic arch in 14 patients; and other, more complex types in 9 patients. The main elements of defects were correctly identified by echo in all cases. We decided to additionally perform computed tomography angiography in 32 patients to clarify all details necessary to qualify patients for surgery and establish the surgical plan. Conclusions: 1. Echocardiography strictly following the pre-determined protocol has 100% sensitivity in the detection of basic elements of aortic arch anomaly and is a perfect tool for diagnostic process initiation. 2. Since it is not possible to visualize all anatomic details, the qualification for surgery should by based on computed tomography angiography or cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, which precisely visualize both abnormal vessels and compressed structures. Aim: To summarize our experience in echocardiographic diagnosis of aortic arch anomalies in pediatric patients. Materials and methods: A retrospective assessment of echocardiographic findings in Echo-Lab patients of the Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Department, who were diagnosed with an anomalous aortic arch between 2003 and 2018. Results: The diagnosis of an abnormal course of the aortic arch and/or its branches was established in 115 children aged between 4 days and 17 years. The following types of anomalies were detected: left aortic arch with aberrant right subclavian artery in 42 patients; right aortic arch with left brachiocephalic trunk in 14 patients; right aortic arch, aberrant left subclavian artery in 36 patients; double aortic arch in 14 patients; and other, more complex types in 9 patients. The main elements of defects were correctly identified by echo in all cases. We decided to additionally perform computed tomography angiography in 32 patients to clarify all details necessary to qualify patients for surgery and establish the surgical plan. Conclusions: 1. Echocardiography strictly following the pre-determined protocol has 100% sensitivity in the detection of basic elements of aortic arch anomaly and is a perfect tool for diagnostic process initiation. 2. Since it is not possible to visualize all anatomic details, the qualification for surgery should by based on computed tomography angiography or cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, which precisely visualize both abnormal vessels and compressed structures.

We wish to share our experience in echocardiographic assessment of the course of the aortic arch, illustrating it with multiple examples of the majority of possible variants. The course of the aortic arch and its branches may be visualized using high parasternal and suprasternal views in sagittal and transverse planes. It is hardly ever possible to visualize the entire aortic arch on a single ultrasonographic section, particularly in the case of pathological variations. Echocardiography should be performed in a dynamic mode, as in the case of CT angiography or magnetic resonance, by gradually moving the ultrasound beam and following the position of subsequent aortic segments and branches on the screen. Due to disturbances in ultrasound propagation caused by air-containing tissues, such as the trachea, bronchi and lungs as well as bones (sternum and ribs), each evaluation of the entire arch requires the use of a higher number of echocardiographic views. The presented data show that echocardiographic detection of the main details of aortic arch anomalies is possible in practically all cases. In the case of patients considered for surgical treatment, all unresolved issues should be clarified with CT angiography or MRI, enabling 3 dimensional reconstruction of vessels and other thoracic structures. Knowledge of the main elements of an abnormal arch is crucial for proper planning of this type of examination; therefore the diagnostic process should be always initiated with echocardiography. Echocardiography is often sufficient to answer all clinical questions and finalize the diagnostic process. We wish to share our experience in echocardiographic assessment of the course of the aortic arch, illustrating it with multiple examples of the majority of possible variants. The course of the aortic arch and its branches may be visualized using high parasternal and suprasternal views in sagittal and transverse planes. It is hardly ever possible to visualize the entire aortic arch on a single ultrasonographic section, particularly in the case of pathological variations. Echocardiography should be performed in a dynamic mode, as in the case of CT angiography or magnetic resonance, by gradually moving the ultrasound beam and following the position of subsequent aortic segments and branches on the screen. Due to disturbances in ultrasound propagation caused by air-containing tissues, such as the trachea, bronchi and lungs as well as bones (sternum and ribs), each evaluation of the entire arch requires the use of a higher number of echocardiographic views. The presented data show that echocardiographic detection of the main details of aortic arch anomalies is possible in practically all cases. In the case of patients considered for surgical treatment, all unresolved issues should be clarified with CT angiography or MRI, enabling 3 dimensional reconstruction of vessels and other thoracic structures. Knowledge of the main elements of an abnormal arch is crucial for proper planning of this type of examination; therefore the diagnostic process should be always initiated with echocardiography. Echocardiography is often sufficient to answer all clinical questions and finalize the diagnostic process.

Background In the present paper, the authors describe a case of a rare congenital defect - anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the main pulmonary artery diagnosed in a 5-week-old infant who was deemed eligible for surgical treatment based solely on echocardiography. Such anatomical abnormalities of the coronary arteries are subtle and thus extremely difficult to visualize, especially in patients in whom permanent extensive damage of the cardiac muscle has not yet occurred. For this reason, the diagnosis is usually established when the disease is highly advanced, oftentimes only postmortem. In this paper, the authors present early echocardiographic evaluation, successful surgical treatment and post-operative echocardiographic examination. Case presentation Fetal echocardiographic examinations demonstrated single vascular anomalies. The suspicion was verified after birth. Other congenital defects, including genetic defects, were also investigated. In the 5th week of life, cardiac ECHO showed abnormal origin of the right coronary artery from the trunk of the pulmonary artery. The child was deemed eligible for surgical treatment of the defect. The surgical translocation of the ostium of the right coronary artery to the aorta was done with success, and the child was discharged on the 14th day of hospitalization. Conclusion The present case report demonstrates that careful examination of the child with precise echocardiographic examination makes it possible to establish an early diagnosis of this rare defect. This discrete defect can be treated early, before the symptoms, often connected with irreversible changes in the myocardium, appear.

We present a case of double-chambered right ventricle diagnosed during preparation for colonoscopy due to gastrointestinal bleeding in a 16-year-old, mentally disabled boy with Williams syndrome. The patient was previously diagnosed with ventricular septal defect and mild pulmonary stenosis. Echocardiography performed under general anesthesia revealed hypertrophied muscular bundles in the right ventricle with the maximum gradient of 100 mmHg, causing severe outflow obstruction. This type of defect is extremely rare in patients with Williams syndrome, with only one case, which was diagnosed during invasive angiocardiography, described in world literature. A successful total surgical correction was performed based on echocardiography data.