Is a 4mm patent ductus arteriosus considered large?

Written by Di Zhi Yong

Cardiology

Updated on September 29, 2024

00:00

00:00

Patent ductus arteriosus is a type of congenital heart disease. Generally, patients around the age of six months to one year may not necessarily have their ductus arteriosus close. If it does not close by around one year of age, it is considered a congenital heart disease, and it is recommended to seek early surgical treatment at a hospital. Surgery is needed if the condition exceeds approximately 4mm in size. If the patient currently shows no symptoms, it is possible to initially observe the condition. However, if symptoms persist, accompanied by palpitations, chest tightness, difficulty breathing, especially if respiratory infections recur, treatment is necessary.

Other Voices

home-news-image

Written by Xie Zhi Hong

Cardiology

1min 16sec

home-news-image

Is patent ductus arteriosus related to pregnancy?

The ductus arteriosus is a vital conduit in the fetus during intrauterine life, connecting the blood from the placenta to the pulmonary artery and the aorta, enabling the placental blood to reach the aorta and supply blood to the entire body of the fetus. Usually, if the fetus is viable, there should be no issues, so the non-closure of the ductus arteriosus is not related to the pregnancy period. After the birth of the fetus, as the lungs expand and heart function changes, the ductus arteriosus will automatically begin to close. In the vast majority of infants, the ductus arteriosus will likely close after three months of birth. If it has not completely closed within one year, it is considered that the child has patent ductus arteriosus. Therefore, in most cases, patent ductus arteriosus is not related to the pregnancy period. There might be a small fraction of cases where it could be due to poor development during the pregnancy, preventing the timely closure of the ductus arteriosus; however, in most cases, it is unrelated to the pregnancy period.

home-news-image

Written by Tang Li

Cardiology

1min 46sec

home-news-image

What are the symptoms of patent ductus arteriosus?

Patients with patent ductus arteriosus may exhibit several clinical manifestations based on the amount of shunting. 1. Small shunt volume: The internal diameter of the patent ductus arteriosus is small, and the patient may exhibit no subjective symptoms. The prominent sign is a continuous machinery murmur heard at the left sternal border at the second intercostal space and below the left clavicle, accompanied by a thrill; pulse pressure may slightly increase. 2. Moderate shunt: Patients commonly experience fatigue, palpitations, shortness of breath, and chest discomfort after exertion. The heart murmur is similar in character to the above but louder, accompanied by a thrill, and widely transmitted. At times, diastolic and mild systolic murmurs caused by left ventricular enlargement, relative mitral valve insufficiency, and stenosis can be heard at the apex, with a positive vascular sign. 3. Large shunt volume: This condition in a patent ductus arteriosus often accompanies secondary severe pulmonary hypertension, leading to a right-to-left shunt. The typical murmur's diastolic component may diminish or disappear, followed by the disappearance of the systolic murmur, and only a diastolic murmur due to pulmonic valve insufficiency can be heard. Patients often exhibit cyanosis and severe clinical symptoms.

home-news-image

Written by Xie Zhi Hong

Cardiology

54sec

home-news-image

Can you get pregnant with patent ductus arteriosus?

Firstly, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is not a hereditary disease, so both males and females with PDA can reproduce. However, if the individual is female, it is advisable to treat PDA before pregnancy, as pregnancy can increase the load on the heart. Patients with PDA often have poorer cardiac function. If they are asymptomatic, their compensatory abilities may be reduced. Therefore, for safety, it is recommended that patients with PDA consider conception after minimally invasive interventional treatment or surgical treatment, which is safer. The majority of PDAs can be treated with minimally invasive procedures, so the trauma is relatively minor, and there is no need for excessive worry.

home-news-image

Written by Tang Li

Cardiology

53sec

home-news-image

Why does patent ductus arteriosus cause a decrease in diastolic pressure?

In patients with patent ductus arteriosus, since the aortic pressure is significantly higher than the pulmonary artery pressure throughout the cardiac cycle, there is continuous blood flow from the aorta into the pulmonary artery through the open duct, causing a left-to-right shunt. This increases the blood volume in the pulmonary circulation, causing dilatation of the pulmonary artery and its branches. The blood flow returning to the left heart system also increases, thereby increasing the load on the left heart and causing the left heart to enlarge. Due to the diastolic diversion of blood from the aorta to the pulmonary artery, the peripheral arterial diastolic pressure decreases and the pulse pressure increases.

home-news-image

Written by Xie Zhi Hong

Cardiology

1min 28sec

home-news-image

Is a patent ductus arteriosus funnel type severe?

The arterial duct is a pathway through which blood from the maternal placenta is delivered to the fetus. This pathway usually closes at birth, and in most cases, it successfully closes within three months. If it remains open after one year, it can be diagnosed as a patent ductus arteriosus. The shapes of the arterial duct include funnel-shaped, tubular, and window-type. Regardless of the type, if it does not cause serious cardiac complications, it can be addressed with interventional treatments or surgical procedures, making it a relatively non-severe condition. However, if the patent ductus arteriosus remains open for a long time, leading to severe pulmonary arterial hypertension and even left-to-right shunts causing serious cardiac dysfunction, it is considered severe. Therefore, the shape of the patent ductus arteriosus does not have diagnostic significance regarding the severity of the condition. Rather, the severity is assessed based on the patient's symptoms, evaluation of cardiac function through echocardiography, and the condition of pulmonary artery pressure. In the early stages, most cases of patent ductus arteriosus are not very serious and can be resolved through treatment.