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 | موضوع: Common types of congenital heart defects  الخميس 18 سبتمبر - 21:28 | |
| Common types of congenital heart defects Common congenital heart defectsCongenital heart defects are abnormalities that develop before birth. They can occur in the heart's chambers, valves or blood vessels. A baby may be born with only one defect or several that tend to occur in combination. Of the dozens of heart defects, some are mild and may need minimal or no medical treatment even through adulthood, while others are life-threatening, either immediately to the newborn or over time. Here's a look at some of the more common congenital heart defects. Compare them to the normal human heart, shown here. Ventricular septal defectSometimes called a hole in the heart, this defect — the most common congenital heart defect — occurs when the septum, the muscular wall separating the right and left ventricles, fails to fully form. The hole allows oxygen-rich blood to leak from the left ventricle into the right ventricle, instead of moving into the aorta and on to the body.This defect can lead to heart failure, excessive blood pressure in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension), infections of the heart (endocarditis), irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias) and delayed growth. Small holes may heal on their own or cause no symptoms. Larger holes may require surgical repair by stitching together or covering with a patch. Atrial septal defectSimilar to a ventricular septal defect, this is a hole that occurs when the septum separating the right and left atria doesn't close properly. This allows blood from the left atrium to flow into the right atrium, instead of into the left ventricle and on to the aorta and the rest of the body.Minor cases may cause no symptoms and may not require treatment. Larger defects may require surgical closure or cardiac catheterization. Patent ductus arteriosusBefore birth, a temporary blood vessel called the ductus arteriosus connects the pulmonary artery and the aorta. This allows blood to bypass the lungs because oxygen is delivered to the fetus through the placenta and umbilical cord. The temporary vessel normally closes within a few hours or days of birth because the lungs take over. If it remains open (patent), some blood that should circulate through the body is misdirected to the lungs.This defect can cause heart failure or endocarditis. In infants, it can be closed with medications. In older children and adults, plugs, coils or surgery can be used to close the vessel. Pulmonary valve stenosisIn this condition, the flow of blood from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery is obstructed by narrowing at the pulmonary valve. When there's an obstruction (stenosis), the right ventricle must pump harder to get blood into the pulmonary artery. The defect may occur along with other defects, such as thickening of the muscle of the right ventricle immediately below the valve.In many cases, pulmonary stenosis is mild and doesn't require treatment. But because it can cause heart failure, arrhythmias or enlargement of the right heart chambers, intervention may be necessary. In many cases a balloon (pulmonary valvuloplasty) can be used to relieve the stenosis. In some cases, especially patients with other heart defects, surgery may be necessary to replace the valve. Aortic stenosisThis is a defect that narrows or obstructs the aortic valve opening, making it difficult for the heart to pump blood into the aorta.The defect can cause heart enlargement, left-sided heart failure, arrhythmias, endocarditis and fainting. Treatment includes surgical repair or replacement of the valve or, in young children, widening through balloon valvuloplasty. Coarctation of the aortaThis is a narrowing (coarctation), or constriction, in a portion of the aorta. Coarctation forces the heart to pump harder to get blood through the aorta and on to the rest of the body.This defect can cause several life-threatening complications, including severe hypertension, aortic aneurysm, dissection or rupture, endocarditis, brain hemorrhage, stroke, heart failure and premature coronary artery disease. Repair is typically recommended before age 10, either by surgically removing the affected portion or widening it through balloon angioplasty and placement of a stent. Transposition of the great arteriesWith this defect, the positions of the aorta and the pulmonary artery (the great arteries) are reversed (transposed). The aorta arises from the right ventricle instead of the left, and the pulmonary artery arises from the left ventricle instead of the right. This creates a circulatory pattern that prevents nourishing oxygenated blood from reaching the body.This condition would quickly be fatal to a newborn except it's generally accompanied by another defect — commonly a septal defect or patent ductus arteriosus — that does allow oxygen-rich blood to get to the body. Surgical repair is usually necessary shortly after birth. Tetralogy of FallotThis defect is a combination of four (tetralogy) congenital abnormalities. The four defects typically are ventricular septal defect (VSD), pulmonary valve stenosis, a misplaced aorta and a thickened right ventricular wall (right ventricular hypertrophy). They usually result in an insufficient amount of oxygenated blood reaching the body.Complications of tetralogy of Fallot (fuh-LOE) include cyanosis — sometimes called "blue baby syndrome," since the lips, fingers and toes may have a bluish tinge from lack of oxygen — as well as poor eating, inability to tolerate exercise, arrhythmias, delayed growth and development, and stroke. Surgical repair of the defects is required early in life. Ebstein's anomalyThis is a defect of the tricuspid valve, which controls blood flow between the heart's right atrium and right ventricle. The valve is positioned lower than normal into the ventricle instead of remaining between the atrium and the ventricle. Consequently, the ventricle is too small and the atrium too large, and neither functions properly. The valve is also malformed, often allowing blood to leak from the ventricle into the atrium. This defect often occurs along with other heart defects, including patent foramen ovale, atrial septal defect or Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Some patients have symptoms early in life including heart failure and life-threatening arrhythmias. Other patients may have no signs or symptoms until adulthood. Treatment is with medications or with surgery to repair or replace the tricuspid valve, as well as treatment of associated conditions. Atrioventricular canal defectThis is a combination of defects, including a large hole in the center of the heart and a single common valve instead of the separate tricuspid and mitral valves. Also called atrioventricular septal defect, this defect is classified by whether it's only partial, involving only the upper chambers of the heart, or complete, in which blood can travel freely among all four chambers of the heart. Both forms allow extra blood to circulate to the lungs, causing the heart to enlarge.The condition is often associated with Down syndrome. Infants may also have trouble breathing and not grow well. Surgery is often done in infancy to close the hole and reconstruct the valves. Hypoplastic left heart syndromeIn this condition, the left side of the heart is underdeveloped (hypoplastic), including the aorta, aortic valve, left ventricle and mitral valve. As a result, the body doesn't receive enough oxygenated blood. In the first few days after a baby is born, the ductus arteriosus remains open (patent), allowing normal circulation, so the baby may seem fine initially. But when the ductus arteriosus naturally closes, signs and symptoms begin, including a bluish cast to the skin from lack of oxygen, difficulty breathing and poor feeding. This condition may be accompanied by an atrial septal defect.Treatment options for this life-threatening condition are a heart transplant or a multistage surgical procedure done during the first few years of life. Truncus arteriosusThis is a defect in which the normally distinct pulmonary artery and aorta merge into one single great vessel (truncus) arising from the right and left ventricles. Also, there's usually a large ventricular septal defect, essentially turning the right and left ventricles into a single chamber. This allows oxygenated and unoxygenated blood to mix. Too much blood may flow to the lungs, flooding them and making it difficult to breathe. It can also result in life-threatening pulmonary hypertension.Surgery is needed to close the septal defect with a patch and to separate the pulmonary arteries from the trunk. | |
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| | موضوع: رد: Common types of congenital heart defects الأحد 28 ديسمبر - 22:21 | |
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