Patterns of Adult Congenital Heart Diseases at The Rivers State University Teaching Hospital

Background: Adult Congenital heart defects (CHD) describe heart diseases present at birth. that persist into adulthood, and those corrected at childhood that have hemodynamic deficits requiring the attention of the adult cardiologists who manage complications such as pulmonary hypertension or surgical issues. There is paucity of studies on the Prevalence of Adult Congenital Heart Disease in Nigeria. This study aims to provide insights into adult congenital heart diseases (ACHD) at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital Methods: A retrospective review was conducted using data from the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Echocardiogram laboratory for a period of one year: from December 2022 to December 2023. The study involved 23 adult patients with confirmed CHD diagnoses. Data were collected from patient case notes and analyzed for demographic and clinical features and Echocardiogram diagnosis. Results: The study included 23 adult patients with a mean age of 52.4 ± 22.1 years. The gender distribution was slightly female dominated (65.2%). CHDs were categorized into cyanotic and acyanotic types, with acyanotic defects being more prevalent (87.0%). The most common CHDs were atrial septal aneurysms (52.2%) and patent ductus arteriosus (13.0%). Cyanotic CHDs, such as Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) and univentricular heart, accounted for 13.0% of patients. Conclusion: The high prevalence of acyanotic CHDs and the significant occurrence of cyanotic CHDs highlight the need for specialized care and monitoring of ACHD patients in Nigeria. Improved health facilities, early diagnosis, and advanced interventional procedures are essential for managing ACHD effectively.