Chest Roentgenogram in the Evaluation of Heart Defects in Asymptomatic Infants and Children With a Cardiac Murmur: Reproducibility and Accuracy

Abstract

We found a low reproducibility, as well as a low accuracy, of the radiologic assessments of the chest radiographs of children with an asymptomatic heart murmur with respect to the presence or absence of heart disease. A false-positive radiologic assessment of the chest radiograph with respect to heart defects causes unnecessary anxiety and further examinations, whereas a false-negative assessment might result in omission of relevant investigations and proper identification of the heart defect. We cannot recommend the use of chest radiographs in the initial evaluation of the asymptomatic child with a heart murmur. If a heart defect cannot be excluded by clinical examination a CDE must be performed.