ABSTRACT
The adults with congenital heart disease form two distinct groups: those with lesions that have not been previously diagnosed or not received prior intervention, and those who have had palliative procedures. The first group is a rapidly diminishing group as most forms of congenital heart disease are routinely diagnosed and treated in infancy or childhood. The second group is rapidly expanding as the children with palliated congenital heart disease reach adolescence and adulthood. It is estimated that up to 1 million patients are included in this group in the United States at the beginning of the twenty-first century.1
