Summary
The Fallot ́sche Tetralogy is a congenital heart defect. The existing conditions in the heart cause cyanosis, i.e. an undersupply of oxygen to the blood and organs. The children stand out because of their bluish discolored skin.
Among the characteristics are: The disease can manifest itself with varying degrees of severity depending on the characteristics. As a rule, the heart defect is surgically corrected within the first year of life. Diagnosis is mainly based on imaging techniques such as ultrasound. The ECG can also give an indication of the increased muscle mass of the right ventricle.
- Defect in the cardiac septum
- StenosisOcclusion of the pulmonary artery
- Overriding aorta
- Wall thickening of the right ventricle
Causes of the Fallot tetralogy
Fallot tetralogy is a congenital heart defect. In the development of Fallot ́schen tetralogy the embryonic development plays a major role. Here the embryo is equipped with all organ systems important for life.The actual cause of the tetralogy of Fallot has not yet been conclusively clarified. However, a genetic disposition is assumed, since some affected children have a chromosomal anomaly, for example children with Down syndrome.
Symptoms
The affected infants have a bluish skin color (leading symptom!!! ), caused by the low oxygen content in the blood. The extent of the so-called cyanosis, however, depends on the severity of the narrowing of the pulmonary arteries (pulmonary stenosis).
For example, in the case of a minor narrowing, it may not be possible to determine the tetralogy of Fallot on the basis of the skin discoloration. However, these patients are conspicuous by their loud heart murmur. If the pulmonary artery is completely blocked, a life-threatening undersupply of oxygen to the entire small organism occurs on the 2nd to 4th day of life.
Depending on the severity of the oxygen deficiency, so-called watch glass nails and drum flail fingers develop. Watch glass nails are upwardly curved fingernails, which have received the name because of their shape, which reminds one of a watch glass. In drum flail fingers, the end phalanges of the fingers are thickened and appear raised.
Physical development can be quite normal, because as long as the child is growing up in the mother’s belly, its pulmonary circulation is taken over by the mother. The child receives oxygen-enriched blood from the mother, since it cannot breathe. As a rule, almost half of the children experience these symptoms in the first 14 days of life. For the majority, however, the symptoms only appear within the first 3 months of life. The early symptoms include weakness in drinking, shortness of breath and increasing oxygen deprivation (cyanosis).
