Favorable Postoperative Evolution after Late Surgical Repair of Truncus Arteriosus Type 1: A Case Report

Abstract

Truncus arteriosus communis (TA) is a rare cyanotic congenital heart defect, in which the aorta and the pulmonary artery have not been separated during the normal development of the fetal heart, so a single truncal artery is arising from the base of the heart. Most patients with TA present within the first weeks of life with heart failure. This anomaly is an important cause of pulmonary arterial hypertension. Corrective surgery is indicated in the first 3 months of life, to avoid the development of severe pulmonary arterial hypertension. We report the case of a 12-month-old male infant diagnosed by echocardiography with truncus arteriosus type 1 in whom, based on hemodynamic data, surgical treatment could be performed at the age of 1 year.

Keywords

• truncus arteriosus
• pulmonary arterial hypertension
• children