The Role of Echocardiography in Diagnosing & Treating Ebstein’s Anomaly

“Ebstein’s anomaly is a rare cardiac anomaly that occurs in approximately one in 20,000 live births and accounts for less than 1% of all congenital heart disease (Ebstein’s anomaly in adults)”. The goal of this paper is to examine Ebstein’s Anomaly - to understand what it is, how it affects the heart, possible presenting symptoms, and other possible complications associated with this anomaly. Diagnosis of this anomaly is key in treating patients, thus echocardiographic as well as other test modalities are vital in assessing what the treatment options are available, as well as discerning what the prognosis may be. Advancing test modalities have helped distinguish Ebstein’s Anomaly with other differential diagnoses. Developments with testing modalities coupled with comprehensive calculations, formulas, and measurements have facilitated correctly diagnosing, and therefore properly treating cardiac patients.

Definition

Ebstein’s Anomaly is a rare congenital condition, present at birth, in which the tricuspid valve is malformed and the valve itself is not in the correct anatomic place (Mayo Clinic Staff). This anomaly affects the right side of the heart – the tricuspid valve is located too deep into the ventricle, causing a smaller and weaker right ventricle. The space above the decreased right ventricle is made up of atrial tissue and this can be referred to as right ventricle dysplasia or an atrialized right ventricle (Reynolds). Typically the tricuspid valve has three freely moving leaflets, but in Ebstein’s anomaly one or two of those leaflets get fused to the heart walls causing regurgitation. Since the heart does not work as efficiently in those who have this anomaly, the heart usually compensates and becomes enlarged. It...

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...rom http://www.ebsteinsanomaly.org/what_is_ea.html

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