Detection Of Patent Ductus Arteriosus Research Articles

Automated Identification of Patent Ductus Arteriosus Using a Computer Vision Model.

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a vascular defect common in preterm infants and often requires treatment to avoid associated long-term morbidities. Echocardiography is the primary tool used to diagnose and monitor PDA. We trained a deep learning model to identify PDA presence in relevant echocardiographic images. Echocardiography video clips (n = 2527) in preterm infants were reviewed by a pediatric cardiologist and those relevant to PDA diagnosis were selected and labeled (PDA present/absent/indeterminate). We trained a convolutional neural network to classify each echocardiography frame of a clip as belonging to clips with or without PDA. A novel attention mechanism that aggregated predictions for all frames in each clip to obtain a clip-level prediction by weighting relevant frames. In early model iterations, we discovered training with color Doppler echocardiography clips produced the best performing classifier. For model training and validation, 1145 such clips from 66 patients (661 PDA+ clips, 484 PDA- clips) were used. Our best classifier for clip level performance obtained sensitivity of 0.80 (0.83-0.90), specificity of 0.77 (0.62-0.92) and AUC of 0.86 (0.83-0.90). Study level performance obtained sensitivity of 0.83 (0.72-0.94), specificity of 0.89 (0.79-1.0) and AUC of 0.93 (0.89-0.98). Our novel deep learning model demonstrated strong performance in classifying echocardiography clips with and without PDA. Further model development and external validation are warranted. Ultimately, integration of such a classifier into auto detection software could streamline PDA imaging workflow. This work is the first step toward semi-automated, bedside detection of PDA in preterm infants.

Incidental detection of patent ductus arteriosus during cardiac surgery in adult patients: A case series

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is an inborn heart defect in which the ductus arteriosus (i.e., a vascular structure between the pulmonary artery and aorta that usually closes shortly after birth) remains open. Because most patients with PDA are diagnosed and treated when they are infants, this is a relatively rare congenital heart defect among adults. Herein, we present the cases of PDA in adults, which were detected during cardiac surgery.

Development of tissue Doppler-derived predictors of hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus and the ability to incorporate it in targeted neonatal echocardiography protocol

BackgroundHemodynamically significant (HS) patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a significant cause of mortality in preterm neonates. Early detection of HS PDA and pre-symptomatic closure may help in avoiding complications. For this to happen, easily performed predictors must be available; the aim of this paper is to test the reliability and repeatability of tissue Doppler-derived parameters for prediction of HS PDA. MethodsPreterm neonates <32 weeks were screened with echocardiography at Day 3 of life; 80 neonates with PDA were classified into HS group and hemodynamically insignificant (HIS) group based on benchmark parameter namely left ventricular outflow to superior vena caval flow ratio (LVO/SVC), and a ratio ≥4 was considered predictive of HS PDA. Tissue Doppler-derived left ventricular myocardial systolic and diastolic velocities were also performed. ResultsIn total, 105 neonates (55 among HS and 60 among HIS groups) were included in the study. Septal systolic velocity (S′) proved of high sensitivity (100%) in the prediction of HS PDA; nevertheless, it proved to be more repeatable than the initially discriminating parameter (LVO/SVC) with a Kappa of 0.92. ConclusionThis study concludes that septal S′ can be reliably used even by neonatologists for pre-symptomatic detection of HS PDA. This may also indicate the need of adding tissue Doppler parameters to the standard protocol of targeted neonatal echocardiography.

Detection of patent ductus arteriosus with intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography in a patient undergoing closure of coronary artery to pulmonary artery fistula

BackgroundCoronary artery to pulmonary artery fistula is an unusual vascular anomaly, and the shunt ratio of this fistula is usually small.Case presentationWe report anesthetic management of a 55-year-old female with annuloaortic ectasia, aortic valve regurgitation, and coronary artery to pulmonary artery fistula undergoing radical repair. We calculated the left-to-right shunt ratio after placement of a pulmonary artery catheter and found that the ratio was unexpectedly high. Thus, we explored the presence of another shunt by intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography and found patent ductus arteriosus undiagnosed before operation.ConclusionsA combination of a pulmonary artery catheter and transesophageal echocardiography is useful to explore the presence of another shunt, such as patent ductus arteriosus during anesthesia.

Pocket echocardiography system for detection of patent ductus arteriosus in neonates.

Neonates are commonly referred for a cardiology consult and an echocardiogram to rule out patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Evaluate the usefulness of current pocket echocardiography system (PES) in PDA detection compared to traditional full-featured echo system (FFES). The determination of the presence of a PDA in neonates can be done using PES. Fifty newborns with orders for echo evaluation were included in this study. A 5-minute PES scan was performed first. Then a full echo study was performed on a traditional FFES. Images were evaluated by three pediatric cardiologists blinded to the patients and the FFES results. The overall accuracy of reviewers rating PES versus FFES to rule in PDA had low false-positive rates 9.5% (95% CI: 1.2-30%), 11.8% (95% CI: 1.5-36%), 11.1% (95% CI: 1.4-35%) and the false-negative rate to rule out PDA was 0% (95% CI: 0-18%), 5.5% (95% CI: 0.14-27%), 0% (95% CI: 0-26%) for each reviewer 1, 2, and 3, respectively. Upon further analysis, PES scan was shown not to be accurate on infants with body weight below 1000 g with encouraging results for infants above 1000 g and those >37 weeks gestational age. Our results suggest that the current PES could potentially be used in larger and near-term infants but has less than acceptable performance in low birth weight and premature infants in determining who should undergo a FFES study for persistent PDA diagnosis. Improvements in the technology along with developing limited training protocols for noncardiology personnel should make it possible for PES scan to be used as a screening tool and as an extension of physical examination especially in limited resource settings.

Perfusion index and its dynamic changes in preterm neonates with patent ductus arteriosus

The perfusion index (PI) and its dynamic change during respiration, and supressed the plethysmographic variability index (PVI), are calculated from pulse oximetry, and these indexes were recently proposed for continuous and noninvasive assessment of peripheral perfusion in neonates. We aimed to assess the effect of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) on PI and PVI, according to ductal Doppler flow pattern. Forty-five neonates with median (Q25-75) gestational age (GA) and birthweight of 27 (25-28) weeks and 857 (750-1080) grams, respectively, were assessed prospectively using serial echocardiography and pulse oximetry during the first postnatal week. Perfusion index increased from 0.70 (0.50-1.05) at day 1 to 1.50 (1.0-2.00) at day 7 (p < 0.01) and was not influenced by ductal flow pattern. PVI was 22 (18-27) and did not vary during the study period but differed according to ductal flow pattern, with lower values in the growing and pulsatile groups compared with the pulmonary hypertension (p < 0.05), closing and closed groups (p < 0.01). Ductal persistence and flow pattern did not affect PI but did affect PVI in preterm neonates of less than 29 weeks of GA. Future studies are needed to establish the usefulness of PVI in the early detection and management of PDA in preterm neonates.

Influence of a Patent Ductus Arteriosus on Cardiac Troponin T Levels in Preterm Infants

To evaluate the effect of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) on the myocardium by measuring levels of cardiac troponin T (cTnT), a marker of ischemic myocardial damage. Eighty infants with a median gestation of 28 weeks (interquartile range ([IQR] = 26.1 to 29.5 weeks) and median birth weight of 1.06 kg (IQR = 0.87 to 1.21 kg) underwent echocardiographic and cTnT assessments at 12 and 48 hours of life. The infants with PDA were treated with ibuprofen or surgical ligation. Follow-up echocardiography and cTnT assay was performed after treatment. The median 12-hour cTnT level was 0.20 microg/L (IQR = 0.11 to 0.40 microg/L). At 48 hours, median cTnT level was significantly higher in the PDA group (n = 45) than in the spontaneous closure group (n = 35) (0.43 vs 0.13 microg/L; P < .001). Following successful treatment, cTnT levels decreased significantly, to 0.10 microg/L (P < .001). cTnT levels correlated significantly with ductal diameter, left atrial-to-aortic diameter ratio, and descending aortic end-diastolic velocity. The receiver operating characteristics curve for detection of PDA through cTnT values had an area under the curve of 0.78 (95% confidence interval = 0.66 to 0.90; P < .001). cTnT may be a useful marker of ductal significance and treatment response, because it correlates with echocardiographic markers of PDA. Elevated cTnT level may reflect the potential myocardial damage caused by a PDA.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Transesophageal Echocardiography for Detecting Patent Ductus Arteriosus in Adolescents and Adults

To compare the accuracy of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) with that of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in the detection of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in the adolescent and the adult, 40 patients with PDA and 50 patients with other congenital heart diseases were studied. All echocardiograms were recorded before cardiac catheterization and surgery. The echocardiographic diagnosis of PDA was made by direct visualization of a shunt flow in the duct. A mosaic flow in the pulmonary artery without direct visualization of the duct was considered possible but not definitely diagnostic of PDA. TEE showed greater sensitivity and negative predictive value than TTE (97% vs 42%, and 98% vs 68%, respectively; p < 0.001) in confirming the diagnosis of PDA. The specificity and positive predictive value in establishing the diagnosis of PDA were the same for both techniques. In the subgroup of patients with Eisenmenger's syndrome, the sensitivity of TEE and TTE in confirming diagnosis of PDA was 100% and 12% (p < 0.01), respectively. The sensitivity of monoplane and biplane TEE in the diagnosis of PDA was comparable (95% and 100%, respectively; p = NS). In conclusion, TEE was highly sensitive and specific in detecting PDA in adolescents and adults. It was also highly valuable for detecting the cause of pulmonary hypertension in patients with Eisenmenger's syndrome.

Precordial contrast echocardiographic detection of patent ductus arteriosus in small preterm infants.

Clinical detection of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) remains an important and challenging problem in the small preterm infant with respiratory distress. In this study, PDA was diagnosed in 28 small preterms using an improved contrast echocardiographic method. In these infants, the injection of saline into the aorta generated echoes which were imaged at the pulmonary valve. This was accomplished using a conventional M-mode ultrasound transducer applied at the usual precordial position. Contrast echo studies were compared with the degree of ductal patency shown by single film aortography. Ductal patency was detected by contrast echo in 29 of 31 instances of aortographically proven PDA. Indirect echo indices commonly used for detection of PDA (cardiac chamber enlargement) may be limited since factors other than left-to-right shunt can cause cardiac enlargement in distressed small preterms. This direct contrast echo technique is an easily performed, sensitive, qualitative method for confirmation of the diagnosis of PDA in small preterm infants.

Echocardiographic systolic time intervals in premature infants with patent ductus arteriosus

Thirty-six premature infants with respiratory distress syndrome and clinically significant patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) were studied by M-mode echocardiography before and after closure of the ductus. Before closure the ratio of left ventricular preejection period to left ventricular ejection time (LPEP/LVET) was .26±.03 (mean±SD). After closure of the ductus, LPEP/LVET was .38±.04 (mean±SD), significantly different from the value before closure but not significantly different from the value found in 21 control infants; also, a ratio < .30 was always associated with a clinically significant shunt. The combination of systolic time interval measurement with standard M-mode measurement of the left side of the heart enhanced echocardiographic detection of PDA in our series. Serial evaluation of systolic time interval measurements may provide a further index of left-to-right shunt through a PDA and be a valuable adjunct to the clinical management of these patients.

New serial contrast technique for assessment of left to right shunting patent ductus arteriosus in the neonate

A new serial echocardiographic contrast technique for detection of patent ductus arteriosus has been developed and validated by clinical course (33 infants), surgical observations (13 infants) and autopsy observations (4 infants). A left to right shunting patent ductus arteriosus was demonstrated in 30 of 33 prospectively studied premature infants (mean weight 1,371 g) using this new contrast method. The demonstration of left to right ductal shunting was accomplished by hand injection of a nonviscous material (saline solution, 5 percent dextrose in water or the patient's own blood) through an umbilical arterial catheter placed with its tip located above the diaphragm during recording of a suprasternal notch echocardiogram. In positive studies, both the transverse aortic arch and right pulmonary artery were opacified. If no left to right shunt existed, only the transverse aortic arch was opacified. This serial study helped elucidate the natural history of patent ductus arteriosus. Twenty-four of the 30 patients with a positive study initially had a left to right shunting patent ductus arteriosus without an audible murmur. Three of these patients with silent patent ductus arteriosus later had congestive heart failure and two required operative ligation of the patent ductus. The high rate of detection of silent patent ductus arteriosus and its bedside confirmation when suspected are important in the serial management of critically ill newborns with this condition. The test is safe and sensitive and it is useful for early demonstration of silent patent ductus arteriosus, for clarifying the origin of murmurs and for confirming spontaneous, operative or pharmacologie closure of a patent ductus arteriosus.

A Simplified Technic for the Detection of Patent Ductus Arteriosus and of Other Left-to-Right Shunts Originating from the Aorta

A simplified technic for the detection of left-to-right shunts originating from the aorta is described. A thin, radiopaque catheter is introduced into the aortic arch through a Cournand needle placed in the femoral artery, and injections of a solution of Kr 85 are made. In the presence of a shunt the injected Kr 85 is rapidly detected in the expired air but in the absence of a shunt the appearance time of Kr 85 in the expired air is delayed. When an aortic shunt is present it may be localized by means of injections of cardiogreen dye at various points in the aorta by sampling the blood from the right brachial artery. The value of these technics is illustrated by descriptions of their application in five patients with various forms of congenital or acquired heart disease.