Hospital Sant Joan de Déu
Sharing to move ahead

CDG syndrome

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Echocardiography is a cardiac imaging test that is performed by a machine of ultrasound. It is the same kind of procedure that we use for pregnant women to visualize the fetus, but in this case to assess the child's heart.

How echocardiography works?

It is a very simple, painless test. It is done with the child lying on a couch, naked from the waist up. The doctor applies a small amount of gel on the child's chest and placed on it a transducer (like a microphone), which moves on the surface of the chest and abdomen to visualize the heart from different angles.

It doesn't require any preparation, only some cooperation from the patient, because the movements and crying difficult the acquiring of the heart images.

What is echocardiography?

Echocardiography allows us to see in motion in real time the heart to study its shape, its size, its contraction and relaxation, valve function and blood circulation.

In patients with CDG syndrome the echocardiography, along with electrocardiogram, are used to evaluate the possible involvement of heart disease.

Some kind of CDGs may lead to the development of dilated or hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. In CDG type 1, PMM2-CDG, there is normally echocardiographic findings such as pericaridal effusion not related to any symptoms.

Last modified: 
06/17/2015