Spontaneous Closure of a Secundum Atrial Septal Defect
Abstract
Spontaneous closure of an atrial septal defect (ASD) is well described in pediatric cardiology but may be less familiar to adult internists and cardiologists. We report a moderately sized 6-mm ASD that closed spontaneously without intervention. A literature review found that a smaller defect size and an early age of diagnosis are the most important predictors of closure. Possible mechanisms of a spontaneous ASD closure include adaptive endothelial migration, limited myocardial proliferation, and fibroblast migration with extracellular matrix deposition.
© 2018 Stephen Y. Wang, Terrence D. Welch, Aryé Elfenbein, Aaron V. Kaplan, published by Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center
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