Clinical course in children and adolescents with ventricular septal defect

Abstract

Background

Ventricular septal defect, the most common congenital heart defect, is characterized by an opening between the ventricles. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical course and associations between the characteristics of ventricular septal defect.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 1498 children with ventricular septal defects, aged <19 years, who were referred to our center between 2003 and 2018. The diagnosis was suspected from a combination of clinical and laboratory findings, and confirmed by transthoracic echocardiography.

Results

Of the 1498 children, 54.9% were boys, 78.4% of defects were perimembranous, 30.4% of patients had pulmonary hypertension, 67.5% had regular follow-up, and 76 (5.1%) had complications including 28 (1.9%) with Eisenmenger syndrome; 10 died due to Eisenmenger syndrome during follow-up. The defects closed spontaneously in 38.9% and after surgery in 20.9%. Boys tended to have more perimembranous, inlet, and outlet forms (56.40%, 50.60%, 51.90%, respectively), whereas girls had more muscular types (51.80%). Most patients with pulmonary hypertension had perimembranous defects (83.10%). The majority of patients with pulmonary hypertension had large (63.40%) or moderate (36.60%) defects. Pulmonary hypertension had a significant association with defect size (p < 0.001). After surgery, residual defects were found mostly in cases of large defects (84.60%). Most patients with spontaneous closure were younger than 4 years.

Conclusion

Almost four-fifths of children with ventricular septal defects had perimembranous types, and almost one-third had pulmonary hypertension which was associated with defect size. Two-fifths of the defects closed spontaneously. There was a low incidence of complications after surgery.