Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026

Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
Published on: February 8, 2022
Traumatic ventricular septal defect
Gainosuke Sugiyama1, Christopher Lau, Vinay Tak
1State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Department of Surgery, Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
Traumatic ventricular septal defect (VSD) is rare after penetrating cardiac injury. High-resolution CT scans can detect occult VSDs missed by echocardiography.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Trauma Surgery
- Diagnostic Imaging
Background:
- Traumatic ventricular septal defect (VSD) is a rare complication of penetrating cardiac injuries, occurring in 1-5% of cases.
- Transthoracic echocardiography is the standard diagnostic tool for VSDs.
Observation:
- A case of a penetrating cardiac injury with an initially undetected VSD is presented.
- The VSD was occult and not visualized on transthoracic echocardiography.
Findings:
- A high-resolution computed tomographic (CT) scan of the chest successfully identified the occult traumatic VSD.
- This highlights the limitations of echocardiography in diagnosing certain VSDs.
Implications:
- High-resolution CT imaging should be considered for diagnosing VSDs in cases of penetrating cardiac trauma where echocardiography is inconclusive.
- Improved diagnostic accuracy for traumatic VSDs can lead to timely intervention and better patient outcomes.
More Related Videos
08:00Reduction of Iatrogenic Atrial Septal Defects with an Anterior and Inferior Transseptal Puncture Site when Operating the Cryoballoon Ablation Catheter
Published on: June 15, 2015
07:39Use of a Percutaneous Ventricular Assist Device/Left Atrium to Femoral Artery Bypass System for Cardiogenic Shock
Published on: August 16, 2021
Related Concept Videos
Pneumothorax-I
Pneumothorax can be even further classified as spontaneous, traumatic, and tension pneumothorax.
Traumatic Brain Injury l: Introduction
Aortic Regurgitation I: Introduction
Pneumothorax II: Pathophysiology
Mitral Stenosis I: Introduction