Left Ventricular Noncompaction Is More Prevalent in Ventricular Septal Defect Than Other Congenital Heart Defects: A Morphological Study

Abstract

Left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) is a condition characterized by prominent ventricular trabeculae and deep intertrabecular recesses and has been described as a possible substrate for arrhythmias, thromboembolism, and heart failure. Herein, we explored the prevalence of LVNC morphology among hearts with congenital heart defects (CHD). We examined 259 postnatal hearts with one of the following CHD: isolated ventricular septal defect (VSD); isolated atrial septal defect (ASD); atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD); transposition of the great arteries (TGA); isomerism of the atrial appendages (ISOM); Ebstein’s malformation (EB); Tetralogy of Fallot (TF). Eleven hearts from children who died of non-cardiovascular causes were used as controls. The thickness of the compacted and non-compacted left ventricular myocardial wall was determined and the specimens classified as presenting or not LVNC morphology according to three criteria, as proposed by Chin, Jenni, and Petersen. Normal hearts did not present LVNC, but the CHD group presented different percentages of LVNC in at least one diagnostic criterium. The prevalence of LVNC was respectively, according to Chin’s, Jenni´s and Petersen´s methods: for VSD—54.2%, 35.4%, and 12.5%; ASD—8.3%, 8.3%, and 8.3%; AVSD—2.9%, 2.9%, and 0.0%; TGA—22.6%, 17%, and 5.7%; ISOM—7.1%, 7.1%, and 7.1%; EB—28.6%, 9.5%, and 0.0%; TF—5.9%. 2.9%, and 2.9%. VSD hearts showed a significantly greater risk of presenting LVNC when compared to controls (Chin and Jenni criteria). No other CHD presented similar risk. Current results show some agreement with previous studies, such as LVNC morphology being more prevalent in VSDs. Nonetheless, this is a morphological study and cannot be correlated with symptoms or severity of the CHD.

Keywords

• congenital heart defects
• left ventricular noncompaction
• ventricular septal defects