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Absent pulmonary valve - Symptom

Alternative Names

Absent pulmonary valve syndrome; Congenital absence of the pulmonary valve; Pulmonary valve agenesis

Symptoms:

Symptoms can vary depending on which other defects the infant has, but may include:

Blue coloring to the skin (cyanosis)
Coughing
Rapid breathing
Respiratory failure
Wheezing

Signs and tests:

Absent pulmonary valve may be diagnosed before the baby is born with a test that uses sound waves to create an image of the heart (echocardiogram).

During an examination, the doctor may hear a murmur in the infant' s chest.

Tests for absent pulmonary valve include:

A test to measure the electrical activity of the heart (electrocardiogram)
Chest CT scan
Chest x-ray
Echocardiogram
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the heart

Absent pulmonary valve

Reviewed last on: 2/5/2010
Kurt R. Schumacher, MD, Pediatric Cardiology, University of Michigan Congenital Heart Center, Ann Arbor, MI. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Park, MK. Park: Pediatric Cardiology for Practitioners. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby; 2008.

Nölke L, Azakie A, Anagnostopoulos PV, Alphonso N, Karl TR. The Lecompte maneuver for relief of airway compression in absent pulmonary valve syndrome. Ann Thorac Surg, 2006;81:1802-1807.

Brown JW, Ruzmetov M, Vijay P, Rodefeld MD, Turrentine MW. Surgical treatment of absent pulmonary valve syndrome associated with bronchial obstruction. Ann Thoracic Surg, 2006;82:2221-2226.

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