Atrial Septal Defects: 2DE vs 3DE and Anatomic Specimen

Abstract

This chapter describes the atrial septal defects (ASDs), a group of congenital heart diseases that allow communication between the left and right side of the heart. These congenital anomalies have an approximate prevalence of 1 out of 1000 individuals. There are four main types of ASD. Secundum ASD is the most common type accounting for about 75% of all ASDs and is more common in females than males. Characteristically, it is located within the borders of the fossa ovalis (FO) and its size varies from a few millimeters in diameter to complete absence of the FO. Primum ASD (also called atrio-ventricular septal defect) accounts for about 15-20% of all ASDs. It is usually part of the atrioventricular septal defect spectrum. Sinus Venosus ASD (5-10% of all ASDs) is located near the superior vena cava or next to the inferior vena cava (IVC). The defect close to the SVC is typically associated with anomalous drainage of the right upper and middle pulmonary veins into the right atrium or SVC. Finally, the unroofed coronary sinus is the rarest form of ASD (>1% of all ASDs). Fenestrations in the roof of the coronary sinus allow for interatrial shunting.