Down syndrome and congenital heart disease: why the regional difference as observed in the Libyan experience?

Background: Children with Down syndrome (DS) have about a 40 to 50% incidence of congenital heart disease (CHD). The objectives of this study were to evaluate the distribution and frequency of CHD patterns in Libyan children with DS. Methods: All patients with DS who were referred to the cardiology clinic between January 1995 and December 2008 were reviewed. Results: Of the 1 193 patients reviewed, 537 (45%) had an associated CHD. Overall there were 349 (65%) patients who had a single cardiac lesion, and 188 (35%) had multiple cardiac lesions. The most common isolated cardiac lesion was atrial septal defect (ASD), found in 125 (23%) patients, followed by atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) in 103 (19%), and ventricular septal defect (VSD) in 76 (14%). Conclusion: Atrial septal defect was the most common cardiac lesion. The distribution of CHDs in Libyan children with DS was similar to what has been reported internationally, but the frequency was not compared with international rates.