title: Congenital heart defects and extracardiac malformations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the association between congenital heart defects and extracardiac malformations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Scientific articles were searched in the Medline, Lilacs, and SciELO databases, using the descriptors "congenital heart disease," "congenital heart defects," "congenital cardiac malformations," "extracardiac defects," and "extracardiac malformations." All case series that specifically explored the association between congenital heart defects and extracardiac malformations were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Congenital heart diseases are responsible for about 40% of birth defects, being one of the most common and severe malformations. Extracardiac malformations are observed in 7 to 50% of the patients with congenital heart disease, bringing a greater risk of comorbidity and mortality and increasing the risks related to heart surgery. Different studies have attempted to assess the presence of extracardiac abnormalities in patients with congenital heart disease. Among the changes described, those of the urinary tract are more often reported. However, no study has evaluated all patients in the same way.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Extracardiac abnormalities are frequent among patients with congenital heart disease, and patients with these alterations may present an increased risk of morbimortality. Therefore, some authors have been discussing the importance and cost-effectiveness of screening these children for other malformations by complementary exams.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Patologia, Universidade Federal de Ciências da Saúde de Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
authors.forename: Rosana Cardoso M
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: Rafael Fabiano M
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Rosa
authors.forename: Paulo Ricardo G
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Zen
authors.forename: Giorgio Adriano
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Paskulin
mesh_terms: D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn