CARDIAC ANOMALIES IN MONGOLISM

Abstract
47 anomalies of the heart or great vessels were found in 28 of 63 Mongols who were examined postmortem. Slightly over 1/3 were atrial and ventricular septal defects, and 1/6 were patent ductus arteriosus. Most of the remaining lesions were pulmonary stenoses. The most common anomaly was a defect of the pars membranacea of the ventricular septum. It appears that cardiac anomalies in mongolism are due predominantly to defects occurring in the earlier stages of cardiac development.