Congenital Aortic Stenosis

Thirty-seven patients with congenital aortic stenosis have been studied. Only a few were without symptoms referable to the defect. Characteristically, the patients had a loud, harsh systolic murmur, accompanied by a thrill, to the right of the sternum. On x-ray examination the most frequent manifestation was dilatation of the ascending aorta. Electrocardiographic evidence of left ventricular hypertrophy was found in 60 per cent. Nineteen patients have been operated upon with 2 deaths. The procedure has been tolerated amazingly well. Although it is too early to judge the results, all but 2 of the surviving patients appear to have been helped.