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Absent Pulmonary Valve—Child

Authors:
  • Cynthia M. Johnson, MA
Publication Type:

Condition

Absent Pulmonary Valve—Child

Definition

In a normal heart, blood flows from the body into the right atrium and on to the right ventricle. Blood is then pumped out of the heart through the pulmonary artery to the lungs. The blood picks up fresh oxygen in the lungs and returns to the left atrium and goes into the left ventricle. From there, it is pumped out through the aorta to deliver oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body.

Heart Chambers and Valves.

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Blood Flow Through the Heart.

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An absent pulmonary valve is one that is missing or poorly formed. The opening where the valve should be is also narrowed. The defect causes the blood moving from the right ventricle to the arteries leading to the lungs to build up. This causes swelling of these arteries that can put pressure on the air passages in the lungs.

This problem can be mild to severe. It usually occurs with other heart defects, like tetralogy of Fallot (a group of heart defects), or with an opening between the ventricles called a ventricular septal defect .

Ventricular Septal Defect.

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Causes

A baby is born with this heart defect. It is not known why this happens.

Risk Factors

Things that may raise the risk of this problem are:

  • A family history of heart defects at birth
  • Certain chromosomal disorders
  • Prior pregnancy with fetal heart abnormalities or miscarriage

Symptoms

Problems may be:

  • Blue or pale grayish skin color
  • Trouble breathing
  • Coughing
  • Poor feeding
  • Poor weight gain

Diagnosis

The doctor will ask about your child’s symptoms and health history. A physical exam will be done.

Pictures may be taken of your child's heart. This can be done with:

Your child's heart function may be tested. This can be done with:

Treatment

Surgery will be needed to improve heart function and blood flow. Choices are:

  • Closing a mild septal defect
  • Repairing the valve
  • Replacing the valve with a donor or synthetic valve

Lifelong heart monitoring will be needed after treatment.

Prevention

There are no known guidelines to prevent an absent pulmonary valve.

RESOURCES:

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

CANADIAN RESOURCES:

References

  • Absent pulmonary valve. Helen B. Taussig Children’s Heart Center, Johns Hopkins University website. Available at: http://www.pted.org/?id=absentpulmonaryvalve1.
  • Evaluation of the infant for congenital heart disease (CHD). EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/evaluation/evaluation-of-the-infant-for-congenital-heart-disease-chd.
  • Tetralogy of Fallot in infants and children. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/tetralogy-of-fallot-in-infants-and-children.

Contributors

  • Kari Kuenn, MD
Last Updated:
2022-09-01

(C) Copyright 2022 EBSCO Information Services

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.