[Follow-up of longstanding ventricular septal defects].
OBJECTIVE: Ventricular septal defect is the most frequently diagnosed congenital heart defect. The prognosis is usually good. The aim of this study was to describe this idea to general pediatricians. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We review the follow-up of 81 patients with ventricular septal defect. Defects that spontaneously closed in the first 12 months of life and those that formed part of a malformative syndrome or a complex congenital heart defect were excluded. RESULTS: Localization was perimembranous, including all defects affecting mainly the septal membrane independent of whether the surrounding tissues were involved, in 66.7 %, muscular in 29.6 % and mixed in 3.7 %. Perimembranous position was more frequent among large and medium-sized defects. Large and perimembranous defects were characterized by holosystolic murmur; in small, muscular defects, murmur was cut off in mid-systole. In 45.8 % of large defects, weight development was delayed, but there was no appreciable effect on height. Generally we observed a tendency to partial closure and to improvement. Surgical closure was required in 9.8 %. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the trend to partial or complete spontaneous closure, the prognosis of ventricular septal defect is generally good.