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Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
Published on: February 8, 2022
A case of computed tomography diagnosis of truncus arteriosus type IV
Abid M Sadiq1,2, Adnan M Sadiq3,4
1Department of Internal Medicine, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, Moshi, Tanzania.
Insights
Persistent truncus arteriosus type IV is a rare congenital heart defect. Computed tomography (CT) imaging is crucial for diagnosing this condition when echocardiography is insufficient.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Persistent truncus arteriosus (PTA) is a rare congenital heart disease with four variants.
- The rarest variant, PTA type IV, has a poor prognosis without surgical intervention.
- Standard echocardiography may be insufficient for diagnosing complex PTA variants.
Observation:
- A 26-year-old female presented with lifelong dyspnea and cyanosis.
- Echocardiography revealed a ventricular septal defect (VSD).
Findings:
- Computed tomography (CT) imaging demonstrated a single arterial trunk overriding the interventricular septum with a VSD.
- The CT findings were consistent with truncus arteriosus type IV, a form of pseudo truncus.
Implications:
- This case highlights the necessity of advanced imaging like CT in diagnosing complex congenital heart diseases.
- Accurate diagnosis of truncus arteriosus type IV is critical for appropriate management and surgical planning.
Abstract:
Persistent truncus arteriosus is a rare congenital heart disease with four variants, and the last being the rarest. The prognosis without surgical intervention is poor. In such cases, an echocardiography is not sufficient hence computed tomography (CT) imaging is required. We report a 26-year-old female with difficulty in breathing since childhood with cyanosis. Her echocardiography showed a ventricular septal defect (VSD) and the CT showed a single arterial trunk overriding the interventricular septum with a VSD, and the descending aorta giving rise to the pulmonary arteries suggestive of pseudo truncus, known as truncus arteriosus type IV.
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