Atrio-Ventricular Canal (AVC) Endocardial Cushion Defects (ECD) Atrio-Ventricular Septal Defects (AVSD) Flashcards
Definition:AVSD/ECD/AVC Defects
A deficiency or absence of septal tissue immediately above and/or below the normal plane of A-V valves. The valves are abnormal in shape and/or function.
Incomplete fusion of the endocardial cushions
which form primum atrial septum, A-V valves, and inlet ventricular septum
Incidence of congenital heart disease is approximately
8 per 1000 live births.
AVSD is the
5th most common occurring CHD.
AVSD is commonly associated with
Down’s syndrome and cardiac malformations such as Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), Double outlet right ventricle (DORV), and sub- aortic stenosis (SAS)
down syndrome is also present
in 60% of patients with heterotaxy* syndrome.
• *Certain organs forming on the opposite side of the body
children with a complete AV canal fail to
thrive in the first few months of life.
Patients may survive the first few years of life if the
PVR is high.
• High PVR decreases left to right shunting , increases LVEF
If AV canal is repaired between
4-6 months of life, survival is >80%.
An endocardial cushion defect consists of defects in
lower atrial and upper ventricular septa, and deficiencies in the mitral/tricuspid valves.
Also called AVC, or AVSD
Atrioventricular septal defects can be classified into one of three categories called
Complete • Partial • Transitional
CAVSD) (PAVSD) (TAVSD
AVSD Classification
Balanced
- Ventricles are equal in size
- Size is relatively normal
- Both left and right AV valves may equally share the common AV valve orifice. This arrangement is termed a balanced defect.
AVSD Classification unbalanced
- One of the ventricles may be hypoplastic
* Size will be different
AV septal defects occur at the embryonic age and occurs because
of 34-36 days when fusion of the endocardial cushions fails.. This occurs when the endocardial cushion fibroblasts fail to migrate normally to form the septum of the AVC.
• After fusing with the endocardial cushion, if there is a small residual opening at the ECC it is called
ostium primum ASD (AVSD).
Embryology of AVSD
What is the end result?
Deficiency of the primum atrial septum, the ventricular septum, the septal leaflet of the tricuspid valve, and the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve occurs
• AV valves becomes offset • Anterior leaflet of the AV valve extends across septum
If the leaflet opens preferentially toward a ventricle, (limiting flow to the other ventricle),
hypoplasia occurs and creates an unbalanced AVSD
Complete AVSD
- Defect is one in which there are defects in all structures formed by the endocardial cushions.
- Therefore, there are defects (holes) in the atrial and ventricular septal, and the AV valve remains undivided or “common”. all chambers can mix
Partial AVSD
• A partial atrioventricular septal defect is one in which the part of the ventricular septum formed by the endocardial cushions has filled in: (no VSD)
Partial AVSD fills in by
issue from the AV valves or directly from the endocardial cushion tissue causing
• tricuspid and mitral valves dividing into two distinct valves. valvular geometry may be affected
Partial AVSD
• The defect is, therefore,
primarily in the atrial septum and mitral valve.