Spontaneous Closure of Ventricular Septal Defect: A Clinical Study of 42 Cases

Khang, Seon Ock; Lee, Jin Young; Lee, Heung Jae; Lee, Keun Soo

Abstract

During a period of 5 years and 3 months, from January, 1980 to march, 1985, 42 cases of ventricular septal defects were observed to be closed spontaneously during their follow up period and were evaluated at pediatric department, hanyang University hospital. 1) Sex incidence shows female preponderance with male to female ration of 1:2. 2) The mean age when they were diagnosed as ventricular septal defect was 5.0+/-6.4 months, and that of VSD murmur last noted was 13.3+/-11.5 months. The mean age when typical VSD murmur disappeared due to spontaneous closure of the defects was 21.1+/-18.7 months. Spontaneous closure of ventricular septal defects disclosed under one year in 22 cases (52.4%). Of those 22 cases, ventricular septal defects were spontaneously closed under 6 months of age in 16 cases(38.8% of whole study population). From the whole study population 90.5%(38 cases) were spontaneously closed under the age of 5 years. 3) Major clinical and physical characteristics before spontaneous closure of ventricular septal defects were typical pansystolic murmur with maximum intensity at left lower sternal border in all cases, palpable thrill in 5 cases(12.8%), ventricular heaves in 4 cases(10.2%) and frequent respiratory infection histories in 27 cases(64.3%). 4) Electrocardiographic findings when they were initially presented as ventricular septal defects revealed normal axis in 28 cases(84.8%), left axis deviation in 3 cases(9.1%), right axis deviation in 2 cases(6.1%) as frontal QRS axis and left ventricular hypertrophy in 8 cases(24.2%), right ventricular hypertrophy in 5 cases(15.6%) and biventricular hypertrophy in 3 cases(8.7%). Other electrocardiographic abnormalities when they had ventricular septal defects were left atrial enlargement in 12 cases(36.4%) and intraventricular conduction delay in 12 cases(36.4%). After spontaneous closure of ventricular septal defects, the electrocardiographic findings revealed normal axis in 36 cases(92.3%), left axis deviation in 3 cases(7.7%) and left ventricular hypertrophy in one case(2.6%). The remaining abnormalities after spontaneous closure of ventricular septal defect were intraventricular conduction delay in 14 cases(35.9%), deep SV6 in 4 cases(10.3%), tall RV6 in 5 cases(12.8%) and long QTc in 1 case(2.6%). Thirty-eight cases(97.4%) do not show ventricular hypertrophy pattern in EKG after spontaneous closure of their defects. 5) When we analyse their frontal plain chest X-ray films after spontaneous closure of ventricular septal defects, cardiomegaly(cardiothoracic ratio)55%) noted in 7 cases(17.9%) and pulmonary plethora in 5 cases(12.8%);while those before the defect were closed spontaneously were 67.6% and 64.7%, respectively. 6) Among 26 cases who underwent follow up 2 dimensional echocardiographic study so-called septal aneurysm were noted with the process of spontaneous closure of ventricular septal defects in 15 cases(57.7%) and the remaining 11 cases do not have any evidence of 'septal aneurysm' even after the completion of spontaneous closure of their defects. In the patient group with so-called 'septal aneurysm' the proportion of female sex was 60% and early systolic clicky sound were heard in 9 patients from 15 cases(60.0%), while those without 'septal aneurysm'were 55% and 18.2%, respectively.