Is Tetralogy of Fallot serious?

Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
Updated on September 06, 2024
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Tetralogy of Fallot is the most common cyanotic congenital heart disease in children, accounting for about 10% of congenital heart diseases. It is a complex type of congenital heart condition, consisting of four defects: a ventricular septal defect, right ventricular outflow tract obstruction, overriding aorta, and right ventricular hypertrophy. Due to these four malformations, children will experience cyanosis, poor exercise tolerance, and may quickly become fussy or emotionally disturbed with physical activity. This can lead to noticeable worsening of dyspnea and cyanosis. They may also exhibit a preference for squatting, as squatting can decrease the return blood volume to the heart, increase systemic vascular resistance, and temporarily relieve hypoxic symptoms. Other symptoms include clubbing, paroxysmal hypoxia attacks which are more common in infants. These attacks can be triggered by crying, emotional excitement, anemia, infections, etc., and suddenly manifest as paroxysmal breathing difficulties. In severe cases, there can be fainting, convulsions, and even death. Therefore, these clinical manifestations are very serious, making this disease a significantly dangerous condition.

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Written by Hu Qi Feng
Pediatrics
38sec home-news-image

The reason for squatting in Tetralogy of Fallot

The reason for squatting is that when squatting, the lower limbs are bent, which reduces the amount of blood returning to the heart through the veins, thereby reducing the load on the heart. At the same time, the arteries in the lower limbs are compressed, which increases the resistance in the systemic circulation and reduces the right-to-left shunt volume, allowing temporary relief from hypoxia symptoms. Babies who cannot walk often like to be held by adults in a position that bends the lower limbs to reduce the amount of blood returning to the heart. This frequently occurs during walking and playing, often characterized by brief periods of squatting.

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Written by Chen Guang Yin
Cardiology
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Can someone with Tetralogy of Fallot have a second child?

Tetralogy of Fallot is a congenital cardiac defect that has not been found to have a definite genetic relationship, meaning no chromosomal abnormalities have been discovered. However, congenital heart disease does tend to occur within families to a certain extent, indicating some level of familial predisposition. The primary cause, however, is believed to be related to viral infections during the first three months of pregnancy or the use of certain medications. Therefore, we believe that parents of a child with Tetralogy of Fallot can consider having a second child.

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Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
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Can Tetralogy of Fallot be cured?

Tetralogy of Fallot consists of four types of cardiac malformations: first, a ventricular septal defect; second, right ventricular outflow tract obstruction; third, an overriding aorta; and fourth, right ventricular hypertrophy. The main treatment for this condition is surgical repair. In recent years, there have been continual advancements in surgical procedures. Many children undergo a definitive one-stage surgery in early childhood, which can completely cure the condition. Thus, if the symptoms are mild, a definitive surgery can be performed in one stage. If the symptoms are more severe, a palliative shunt surgery may be performed first, followed by the definitive surgery when the general condition improves, and it can still be cured.

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Written by Du Rui Xia
Obstetrics
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Can tetralogy of Fallot be detected by prenatal screening?

During prenatal check-ups for fetuses diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot, the condition can be detected. A four-dimensional color Doppler ultrasound can be performed in the mid-pregnancy stage, allowing observation of the fetus's development, such as the brain, kidneys, skeleton, and heart. Therefore, using four-dimensional color Doppler ultrasound checks can identify congenital heart diseases. When Tetralogy of Fallot is diagnosed, deciding whether to continue with the pregnancy or terminate it is a major concern for the pregnant woman. Cardiac malformations in the fetus can also be surgically treated after birth.

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Written by Yao Li Qin
Pediatrics
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Tetralogy of Fallot electrocardiogram manifestations

Tetralogy of Fallot is a common type of cyanotic congenital heart disease, primarily composed of four structural components: first, a ventricular septal defect; second, an overriding aorta; third, hypertrophy of the right ventricle; and fourth, obstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract. When performing an electrocardiogram (ECG) on Tetralogy of Fallot, it often shows right ventricular hypertrophy, and can also display right atrial hypertrophy. Initially, there may be hypertrophy of both the left and right ventricles. As the child develops cyanosis, it progressively evolves into hypertrophy of the right ventricle. These are the typical ECG findings in Tetralogy of Fallot.