Elsevier

The Lancet

Volume 339, Issue 8789, 8 February 1992, Pages 331-332
The Lancet

SHORT REPORTS
Balloon dilatation of the arterial duct in congenital heart disease

https://doi.org/10.1016/0140-6736(92)91648-RGet rights and content

Abstract

The systemic circulation of newborn infants with congenital left-heart obstruction is supplied from the right ventricle via a patent arterial duct between the pulmonary artery and descending aorta. The duct closes during the first few days of life, but infusion of prostaglandin E2 can prevent closure in some cases. We report four newborn infants (aged 3-8 days) with intractable heart failure due to severe obstruction of the left heart in the presence of a closing arterial duct. Infusion of prostaglandin E2 did not improve their clinical condition. Cardiac catheterisaton and balloon dilatation of their arterial ducts resulted in a dramatic improvement in the babies' clinical condition; during subsequent surgical repair of the infants' hearts, the arterial ducts were found to be widely patent. Balloon dilatation gives immediate and sustained wide patency of the arterial duct in infants who do not respond adequately to prostaglandin E2.

References (5)

There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (12)

  • Interventional cardiology

    2004, Current Paediatrics
  • The Patent Arterial Duct

    2007, The Natural and Modified History of Congenital Heart Disease
View all citing articles on Scopus
View full text