Atrial septal defect

Alternative names:

ASD

Symptoms:

• difficulty breathing (dyspnea)
• shortness of breath with activity
• sensation of feeling heart beat (palpitations)

Note: People with small-to moderate-sized defects may show no symptoms at all, or not until middle age or later.

Signs and tests:

Examination with a stethoscope (auscultation) of the heart usually reveals abnormal heart sounds. There may be symptoms of heart failure or backflow of blood from the left ventricle into the left atrium due to the failure of the valve to close completely (mitral regurgitation) in some cases.

Tests that may be performed in the diagnosis of ASD include:

• a coronary angiography
• a Doppler/ultrasound of the heart
• an echocardiography
• a chest X-ray
• an MRI of chest (sometimes)
• a radionuclide ventriculography (sometimes)

An ECG may show atrial fibrillation, right bundle branch block, or right atrial enlargement.