You searched for: “tetralogy of fallot
tetralogy of Fallot
A congenital heart defect (a structural defect of the heart or great vessels or both that is present at birth, resulting from improper development of the heart and blood vessels during the prenatal period) consisting of four structural anomalies:
  • Obstruction to pulmonary flow.
  • Ventricular septal defect (abnormal opening between the right and left ventricles).
  • Dextroposition of the aorta (aortic opening overriding the septum and receiving blood from both ventricles).
  • Right ventricular hypertrophy (increase of volume of the myocardium, or the middle and thickest layer of the heart wall, composed of cardiac muscle of the right ventricle).

Infants with this condition are sometimes referred to as blue babies because cyanosis is an outstanding symptom, since the position of the aorta allows poorly oxygenated blood from the systemic circulation to mix with oxygenated blood from the lungs.

Other symptoms include clubbing of the ends of the fingers, hemoptysis, dyspnea on exertion, and a slight delay in growth and development.

This entry is located in the following unit: tetra-, tetr- (page 3)