Disease Information for Ventricular large septal defect: Definition

Ventricular Septal Defects; Congenital Ventricular Defects;

VSD;Common Ventricle; Cor Triloculare Biatriatum; Eisenmenger Syndrome; Maladie de Roger; Roger Disease;

Ventricular septal defects are heart defects that are present at birth (congenital); The normal heart has four chambers; The two upper chambers, known as atria, are separated from each other by a fibrous partition known as the atrial septum; The two lower chambers are known as ventricles and are separated from each other by the ventricular septum; Valves connect the atria (left and right) to their respective ventricles; The aorta, the main vessel of arterial circulation, carries blood from the left ventricle and away from the heart; Ventricular septal defects can occur in any portion of the ventricular septum; The size and location of the defect determine the severity of the symptoms; Small ventricular septal defects can close on their own (spontaneously) or become less significant as the child matures and grows; Moderately-sized defects can cause congestive heart failure, which is characterized by an abnormally rapid rate of breathing (tachypnea), wheezing, unusually fast heartbeat (tachycardia), enlarged liver (hepatomegaly), and/or failure to thrive; Large ventricular septal defects can cause life-threatening complications during infancy; Persistent elevation of the pressure within the artery that carries blood away from the heart and to the lungs (pulmonary artery) can cause permanent damage to the lungs; The exact cause of ventricular septal defects is not fully understood--------[NORD 2005]----------

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