Atrial and ventricular septal defect

Most common symptoms

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A defect in the atrial septum occurs when the septum primum and septum secundum do not develop properly in embryonic development between the right and left atria of the heart when deoxygenated blood and oxygenated blood are mixed. While smaller defects of this type may not cause any problems and symptoms, larger ones make themselves aware of the various symptoms. This type of defect is most often detected in adulthood, usually in people over 30 years of age. Sometimes such defects are also part of other diseases, whether by deformation of the heart valve shape or various genetic syndromes.

A ventricular septal defect can also be congenital but sometimes acquired, and is a more serious problem that usually occurs as a child. In childhood, it can arise due to the mother's problems in pregnancy, in adulthood, for example, as a result of myocardial infarction. This defect tends to close spontaneously in the case of a small crack, and this defect also causes a left-right short circuit and is usually accompanied by heart rhythm and respiratory disorders.

This heart disease is caused, for example, by a congenital heart defect, in children, for example, if mothers drank excessive alcohol during pregnancy, or the defects may be part of other heart defects when there are also disorders of valve size and shape and the like. Sometimes the disease is accompanied by genetic defects such as Dawn's syndrome. In adulthood, the cause of the defect may be, for example, myocardial infarction or environmental influences, such as smoking, alcoholism, or obesity.

A defect in the atrial and ventricular septum may not be a very small defect, and even up to 30 percent of such minor ventricular defects tend to self-heal, sometimes at the cost of creating aortic valve insufficiency. However, these heart defects most often affect the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. In the case of breathing, it is a problem with difficulty breathing and even shortness of breath, especially with greater physical activity, sometimes even skin blueing.

There is also a mixture of deoxygenated and oxygenated blood and it travels all over the body or to the lungs (depending on the pressure) for further oxygenation, which creates a lack of oxygen in the body and this is manifested by bluing. One also has problems with an irregular heartbeat, the so-called cardiac arrhythmia. Fatigue is also excessive, and in children with this heart defect, general failure to thrive is typical, when they find it difficult to gain weight and become stronger.

The disease must be diagnosed on the basis of a physical examination, which detects cardiac arrhythmias, shortness of breath, or other external symptoms, but also on the basis of measurement and examination of the heart. Echocardiography is performed, which is an ultrasound examination of the heart, but also a chest X-ray in order to obtain an image of the lungs and heart and an ECG. The saturation of the arterial blood with oxygen, or the total flow and the size of the defect are also measured. Magnetic resonance imaging may also be part of the examination.

Some minor defects of the atrial and ventricular septum may be asymptotic, i.e. without symptoms, or the symptoms may be very mild. In the case of a heart defect of the valves, it usually manifests itself in young children or in preschool age, especially with heart arrhythmias and respiratory problems. In adulthood, the course may be insignificant for a long time, but suddenly a problem or short circuit may appear. Exhaustive breathing and any other more demanding physical activity is then typical.