Introduction: The ventricular septal defect (VSD) in the adult patients is rare. The evolution of the VSD depends on its location and size.
Objective: Describe the experience of adult patients with VSD.
Methods: 136 patients: 77 females (56.6%), with mean age of 34 ± 11.6 years. All patients had clinical history and transthoracic echocardiography. Sixteen patients (12%) went to surgery.
Results: The 80% had symptoms such as: dyspnea (57%), palpitations (17%), chest pain (12%) and exertional syncope (12%). 113 patients (82%) had isolated VSD and the rest in association with other shunts (ASD-13, PDA-12). The VSD was primembranous in 93 cases (68%), muscular in 25 (18%) and 18 of infundibular type (13%). A small and medium VSD (2 a 15 mm was found in 108 patients and a large VSD (> de 15 mm) in patients. Seventy eight patients (57%) had pulmonary hypertension. In the analysis of the mean life between patients without surgery and with normal pulmonary pressure versus non operated patients but with pulmonary hypertension was of 18 and 8 years, respectively (p=0.02).
Conclusion: The VSD is a congenital heart disease that in the adulthood is symptomatic in the majority of cases. The mean life is decreased when there are a perimembranous type and a large size of VSD and when it is associated to moderate and severe pulmonary hypertension.