Ventricular septal defect in infancy.

The clinical features and postmortem findings have been analyzed in nine infants who had a ventricular septal defect and died in heart failure. Possible explanations for the severity of the manifestations of this simple and common defect were considered. The differential diagnosis from other conditions associated during infancy with cardiac enlargement and pulmonary congestion was discussed. It is hoped that an awareness of the serious consequences of this malformation in certain patients and the ability to diagnose it accurately will be forerunners of successful surgery to correct the defect.