Visualization of ventricular septal defects by cardiac ultrasonography.

Anatomically true cross-sectional ultrasonic images of the heart have demonstrated ventricular septal defects in 25 patients with this lesion as an isolated anomaly or in conjunction with other defects. In two additional patients a defect was visualized but confirmation was not obtained. Ventricular septal defects were not demonstrated in 13 other patients in whom this lesion was identified by other techniques. In these instances the lesion was not sought for, was inaccessible, or was too small to image. Defects were manifested by the septum overriding the posterior great artery, septal discontinuity immediately below the posterior semilunar valve, or a discontinuity caudal to the posterior semilunar valve. It appears that cardiac ultrasonography may be able to demonstrate most of the common larger ventricular septal defects occurring in the infracristal region of the septum.