Echo in ventricular septal defect

Editors-in-Chief: Eli V. Gelfand, MD and Keri Shafer, MD (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA)

Ventricular Septal Defect
A ventricular septal defect (or VSD) is a defect in the ventricular septum (the wall dividing the left and right ventricles of the heart). The ventricular septum consists of a muscular (inferior) and membranous portion (superior). The membranous portion (which is close to the atrioventricular node) is most commonly affected.[1]

Congenital VSDs are collectively the most common congenital heart defect.[2]

Echo functions in VSD

 * location and number of defects
 * direction of shunting
 * PA and RV pressures
 * LV thickness, presence of hypertrophy/overload
 * associated anomalies

Special Echo techniques in VSD
Size of the defect determines on the plane in which it is visualized as the defect is usually not symmetric. MUST take maximum diameter.

Perimembranous VSD

 * best seen on parasternal long, short or 5 chamber views

Yale University School of Medicine Congenital Heart Disease: Membranous VSD

Inlet VSD

 * best seen on apical 4 chamber view

unusual VSD:



Outlet VSD

 * best seen on parasternal long/short views

Other VSD types
Trabecular defects are best seen on parasternal long and apical 4 chamber views