title: Ventricular septal defect in children and adolescents in Angola: experience of a tertiary center.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This is the first study in Angola with the aim of characterizing ventricular septal defect (VSD) among children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study based on echocardiographic records of the largest pediatric cardiology center in Angola included all children and adolescents (0 to 18 years old) with VSD between April 2010 and March 2011. The diagnosis was made by transthoracic and Doppler echocardiography with a Medison SA 8000 system. The sample was divided into two groups: Group 1, isolated VSD; and Group 2, VSD associated with other congenital heart defects (CHDs). Age, gender, type of VSD, associated CHDs and genetic syndromes were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 490 CHDs were diagnosed, of which 283 were VSDs. In Group 1 (140, 49%) the mean age was 29±36 months. The most frequent age (mode) at diagnosis was 24 months. There was no predominance of gender (ratio 1:1). The majority (127, 91%) had perimembranous VSD. In Group 2 (143, 51%) 113 patients (79%) had one, 27 patients (19%) had two and three patients (2%) had three other CHDs. Trisomy 21 was the most common genetic syndrome (23, 96%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study shows that VSD is the most common CHD in childhood, the diagnosis is made late and almost half of VSDs are associated with other CHDs.
authors.affiliation: Cardio-Thoracic Center, Clínica Girassol, Luanda, Angola. Electronic address: valdanympub@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Valdano
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Manuel
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Hospital Militar Principal/Instituto Superior, Luanda, Angola.
authors.forename: Humberto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Morais
authors.affiliation: Cardio-Thoracic Center, Clínica Girassol, Luanda, Angola.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manuel
authors.affiliation: Cardio-Thoracic Center, Clínica Girassol, Luanda, Angola.
authors.forename: Bruna
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: David
authors.affiliation: Service of Pediatric Cardiology, Hospital Pediátrico David Bernardino, Luanda, Angola.
authors.forename: Sebastiana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gamboa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000810:Angola; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers
keywords: Cardiopatia congenital; Comunicação interventricular; Congenital heart disease; Echocardiography; Ecocardiografia; Ventricular septal defect