Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Ventricular septal defect chest xray
Introduction
Chest X Ray
Chest X Ray
Small VSD
- Normal heart size and pulmonary vascularity.
Medium-sized defect (or moderate left-to-right shunt)
- Slight cardiomegaly. It can cause signs of left ventricular dilatation.
- Increased pulmonary vascular markings in both the central and the peripheral portions of the lung field.
Large VSD, Eisenmenger syndrome
- Left ventricular hypertrophy may regress in adults. Reversal of shunts can cause right ventricular hypertrophy that in turn causes the apex to tilt upward.
- Dilated proximal pulmonary vessels, pruned peripheral vessels (pulmonary hypertension). Also, calcification of the pulmonary artery may be seen.
References
References
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editors-In-Chief: Keri Shafer, M.D. [2]; Atif Mohammad, M.D., Priyamvada Singh, MBBS