Ventricular Septal Defect
Definition and Morphology Ventricular septal defects (VSDs) are openings in the ventricular septum and occur both in isolation and in conjunction with other cardiac defects. The classification of VSDs is…
Atrial Septal Defect (Interatrial Communication)
Definition and Morphology An atrial septal defect (ASD) is a direct communication between the cavities of the atrial chambers that permits shunting of blood. In the normal heart the true…
Infective Endocarditis
In 1885, Sir William Osler summarized beautifully the main aspects of clinical infective endocarditis (IE) in the Gulstonian Lectures delivered at the Royal College of Physicians of London. Despite all…
Patent Ductus Arteriosus and Aortopulmonary Window
Patent Ductus Arteriosus Embryology The patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a remnant of the distal left sixth aortic arch, which connects the proximal descending aorta to the main pulmonary artery…
Cor Triatriatum and Congenital Mitral Stenosis
Introduction The main causes of congenital left atrial and ventricular inflow obstruction are pulmonary vein stenosis, cor triatriatum sinister (CTS), and mitral stenosis. Congenital pulmonary vein stenosis is usually a…
Truncus Arteriosus
Definition and Morphology Truncus arteriosus (also known as persistent truncus arteriosus, truncus arteriosus communis, common arterial trunk, or common aorticopulmonary trunk) naturally involves a single arterial vessel exiting the base…
Aortic Regurgitation
Etiology Aortic regurgitation (AR) rarely occurs as an isolated lesion, but is a common finding in patients with concomitant congenital heart lesions. It can result from primary disease of the…
Quality of Life in Patients With Pulmonary Hypertension and Nursing in Adults With Congenital Heart Disease
The term pulmonary hypertension (PH) is broad and applicable to a group of conditions. The early 1990s saw major changes in the understanding of the spectrum of disease affecting the…
Mitral Valve Prolapse, Mitral Regurgitation
In 1966, Barlow and Bosman described a constellation of clinical findings consisting of nonejection systolic clicks and a late systolic murmur, T-wave abnormalities, and systolic aneurysmal billowing of the posterior…
Subvalvular and Supravalvular Aortic Stenosis
Patients with left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction comprise a diverse group of neonates, infants, children, and young adults, accounting for up to 6% of adults with congenital heart disease…
