Adult congenital heart disease.

There are approximately 500,000 adults in the United States with congenital heart disease, and this group is growing at 5% per year. Adult cardiologists are, for the most part, poorly trained in the treatment of congenital heart disease; pediatric cardiologists, on the other hand, work in children's hospitals where it is difficult to care for adults. It is important, therefore, to review the current literature as it relates to adult congenital heart disease. This report details the long-term follow-up of patients who were operated on in childhood for congenital heart disease and are now adults. In addition, it reviews information related to the social adaptation of adult congenital heart patients. There are a number of interesting new reports on specific adult congenital heart anomalies. Atrial septal defects as well as the relationship between a patent foramen ovale and stroke are also reviewed.