Sanchez Cascos, A. (1972). Archives of Disease in Childhood, 47, 581. Genetics of atrial septal defect. Of 109 cases of atrial septal defect, cases with an isolated defect (92 cases) showed a female preponderance (sex ratio 0 64), but there was a higher risk to the sibs of the male patients, suggesting a multifactorial mechanism. Dermatoglyphs showed a large number of whorls on the fingers. In ...