ABC Medical Center > Diseases > Truncus arteriosus

What is truncus arteriosus?

4 May 2021

It refers to a congenital heart defect in which the baby is born with a single, large artery that carries blood to the lungs and out to the body instead of having two separate arteries. Similarly, the valve located between the heart and the truncus arteriosus is often abnormal, so it can leak or close too tightly, or both at the same time.

Additionally, along with this anomaly, there is usually a hole in the septum that separates the right and left ventricles, which allows oxygenated blood to mix with deoxygenated blood, which is why the lungs can receive too much blood, causing injury to the pulmonary blood vessels and forcing the heart to pump blood at an intense and accelerated rate. 

Signs and symptoms Truncus arteriosus

They begin from the first days or weeks after birth, the most common being:

  • Palpitations.
  • Somnolescence.
  • Lack of appetite and minimal weight gain.
  • Excessive sweating.
  • Bluish or purple skin color.
  • Breathing problems that cause skin to appear bluish or purple. 

If your baby shows any of these symptoms, see your pediatrician or go to the Emergency Room immediately, as this condition can lead to heart failure or even death if not treated in time.

The causes of truncus arteriosus are not very clear, but you can take certain precautions during pregnancy to minimize risks, such as avoiding alcohol and smoking, self-medication, diabetes, and obesity. 

Diagnosis and treatment Truncus arteriosus

It is possible to diagnose this heart disease through a fetal cardiac ultrasound, allowing to define the treatment to follow immediately after birth. However, if it is not detected before birth, the baby will have pulse oximetry to measure the amount of oxygen in the blood and a cardiac ultrasound.

In case of suffering from this heart disease, your baby will need surgery to correct this problem during his or her first month of life. Even with a successful surgery, your child will likely require additional surgeries as they grow older.

Our Pediatric Heart Center is the only private center in Mexico to treat heart conditions with an exclusive unit for pediatric surgeries.

We have a group of highly trained specialists made up of pediatric cardiologists, echocardiographers, interventional cardiologists, electrophysiologists, pediatric cardiovascular surgeons, pediatric cardiovascular anesthesiologists, pediatric specialists in cardiovascular intensive care, nurses, medical assistants, perfusionists, psychologists, and social workers.

Services:

  • Cardiovascular surgery
  • Interventional cardiology
  • Pediatric echocardiography
  • Fetal echocardiography
  • Pediatric electrophysiology
  • Fetal electrophysiology
  • Cardiovascular intensive care unit
  • Pediatric cardiology clinic
  • Univentricular Heart Program

Related centers and departments Truncus arteriosus

Fuentes: 

  • cardiopatiascongenitas.net
  • kidshealth.org
  • mayoclinic.es
  • stanfordchildrens.org
  • texasheart.org
  • medigraphic.com
  • C Alva, F David, M Hernández, et al. Atresia tricuspídea y tronco arterioso común. Arch Cardiol Mex. 2003;73(4):271-274.
  • Esquivel MCG, Valdez DRV, López ME, et al. Intervención coronaria percutánea vs revascularización miocárdica en enfermedad trivascular o enfermedad de tronco común de la coronaria izquierda. Med Int Mex. 2011;27(2):120-126.
  • Espínola-Zavaleta N, Muñoz-Castellanos L, González-Flores R, et al. Tronco arterioso común en adultos. Arch Cardiol Mex. 2008;78(2):210-216.
  • Martínez GG, Ravelo DR, Valdés CE, et al. Disección aórtica como componente de alteraciones aórticas múltiples. Presentación de caso. CorSalud. 2017;9(2):123-127.

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    The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.