Abstract
This is a retrospective study that was set out to describe the spectrum of congenital heart disease using echocardiography in two main centers in Basra over a period of 24 months from June (2006-2008). Children with the diagnosis of congenital heart disease were selected; information obtained from their records included age, gender, clinical diagnosis and chocardiography finding. Five hundred seventy patients had congenital heart disease making 40% of 1414 examined children. There were 309(54%) males and 261(46%) females (ratio 1.2:1); their ages ranged from 3 days to 19 years. Two hundred forty four (42.8%) children referred for echocardiography before the age of one year and two hundred one (35.2%) were 1-4 years of age. Ventricular septal defect was the most common congenital heart disease present in 247 patients (43.3%), of these (81.8%) were membranous in type, 41(16.6%) were muscular, and 4(1.6%) were supracristal type. The second commonest congenital heart disease diagnosed by echocardiography was tetralogy of Fallot in 72(12.6%) of examined children. Sixty eight (11.9%) had atrial septal defects, out of which 55(80.9%) were of secundum type, 7(10.3%) were primum, 5(7.4%) had sinus venosus defect and only one case with coronary sinus defect. Distribution of specific lesions and sex distribution were similar to findings from other parts of the world; However, the overall detection rate at 1 year of age was lower, with increasing availability of echocardiography facilities more cases of congenital heart defects are likely to be identified early.
Highlights
Congenital heart defects (CHD) represent some of the more prevalent malformations among live births and remained the leading cause of death from congenital malformations.[1,2] CHD defined as an abnormality in cardio circulatory structure or function that is present at birth, even if it is discovered much later.[3]
A total of 1414 echocardiography examinations were done over 24 months, five hundred seventy (40%) patients had CHD
The presence and severity of any cardiac malformation was analyzed with similar approach had been followed in American Society of Echocardiography[6] and other studies.[7,8]
Summary
Congenital heart defects (CHD) represent some of the more prevalent malformations among live births and remained the leading cause of death from congenital malformations.[1,2] CHD defined as an abnormality in cardio circulatory structure or function that is present at birth, even if it is discovered much later.[3].
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