EDITORIAL
Closure of a large patent ductus arteriosus in adults: first do no harm
Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr M L Rigby
Royal Brompton Hospital, Sydney Street, London SW3 6NP, UK; m.rigby@rbh.nthames.nhs.uk
See article on page 514
| The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. |
Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is an open communication between the upper descending thoracic aorta and the origin of the left pulmonary artery. It is the result of persistent patency of the foetal arterial duct and has an incidence of up to 1 in 2000 of the population born at term. At birth, the arterial duct is patent but spontaneous closure occurs during the first 24 h of life with contraction of the smooth muscle in the media. This functional closure is assisted by the approximation of the intimal cushions which protrude into the lumen. Complete closure usually occurs by the age of 3 weeks as a result of diffuse fibrous proliferation of the intima. But in 10%, this process may be delayed by several weeks. Closure usually begins at the pulmonary artery end and may remain incomplete adjacent to the aorta leaving an aortic ampulla from which the ductal ligament
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Heart 2007 93: 514-518.[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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