[The P loop in atrioventricular septal defect. Embryologico-vectorcardiographic correlation]

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Electrophysiology
• Developmental Biology

Context:

• Atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) is a congenital heart condition affecting atrial and ventricular septa.
• Understanding atrial electrical activity in AVSD is crucial for diagnosis and management.
• Vectorcardiography (VCG) provides insights into cardiac electrical activity.

Purpose:

• To analyze atrial vectorcardiogram (VCG) characteristics in patients with partial or complete atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD).
• To correlate VCG findings with hemodynamic parameters and compare them with healthy individuals.
• To investigate the influence of AVSD on the spatial orientation and rotation of the maximum left atrial vector (MLAV).

Summary:

• No significant differences in VCG were found between partial and complete AVSD forms, nor were hemodynamic values correlated with MLAV projection or loop rotation.
• Patients with AVSD exhibited a significantly more posterior and superior MLAV location in both frontal and horizontal planes compared to controls.
• A higher prevalence of clockwise loop rotation in the horizontal (67%) and frontal (33%) planes was observed in AVSD patients, contrasting with the counterclockwise rotation in healthy subjects.

Impact:

• The findings suggest that altered MLAV location and loop rotation in AVSD reflect early developmental adaptations to posterior interventricular septal deficiencies.
• This research provides a basis for understanding the electrophysiological consequences of septal abnormalities in congenital heart disease.
• VCG analysis may offer a non-invasive method to assess cardiac developmental anomalies in AVSD.