Pulmonary atresia

Pulmonary atresia is a congenital birth defect of the pulmonary valve in which the valve does not develop. The valve is completely closed making it harder for blood to travel from the heart to the lungs.

Anatomy

The pulmonary valve is located on the right side of the heart between the right ventricle and pulmonary artery. In a normal functioning heart, the opening to the pulmonary valve has three flaps that open and close; however with this defect some of the flaps are not formed.

Symptoms

The symptoms of pulmonary atresia that would happen in babies include fatigue and shortness of breath.

Complications

Pulmonary atresia can be fatal if no emergency surgery is done. If surgery is done, most children affected by this can live normally, though problems like strokes, heart diseases and seizures are possible.

Related pages

 Mutation
 Heart disease
 Genetic disorder

References

Category:Medical emergencies