Cardiovascular Imaging

Single ventricle

(also called univentricular atrioventricular connection and univentriclar heart), a group of complex cyanotic congenital anomalies in which both atrioventricular valves open into a single ventricle. Single ventricle is frequently associated with abnormal connections or positions of the great arteries such as transposition and malposition. The dominant ventricle receives both atrioventricular valves and the other ventricle is small. The dominant ventricle has a left ventricular morphology in 80% of cases but less frequently has right ventricular morphology or primitive morphology. A bulboventricular foramen separates the dominant left ventricle from the small right ventricular chamber. The small right ventricular outlet chamber may be positioned anterior (noninverted) or to the left (inverted) of the dominant left ventricle. These arrangements are frequently accompanied by D-transposition and L-transposition, respectively. Chest X-ray shows either pulmonary plethora or oligaemia depending upon associated lesions causing obstruction of pulmonary blood flow. With inverted outlet chamber the appearance may be similar to L-transposition with prominent convexity on the upper left cardiac border. Echocardiography and MRI demonstrate the atrioventricular connections, bulboventricular foramen, size and position of the outlet chamber and relationship of the great arteries (Fig.1). Cardiac catheterization and cardiac angiography can define the size of the bulboventricular foramen but is less effective for demonstrating the atrioventricular valves.

CBH

To view high resolution images,
please register first.

Click  here to register.

Already registered? Enter your e-mail in the window below.
Re-register

Fig.1

ECG gated spin echo images demonstrate the dominant left ventricle connected via a bulboventricular foramen (arrow) to the right ventricle outlet chamber (R) from which the levo transposed aorta (A) originates (a). The images also demonstrate pulmonary valvular atresia with hypoplasia of the central pulmonary arteries (arrowheads) (b).
Single ventricle, Fig.1 (a)
Single ventricle, Fig.1 (b)