Ask the Expert

Growth and Nutrition Experts’s Bio Image

Get answers to your child's growth, nutrition, and feeding behavior questions.

Growth and Nutrition Experts’s Bio | Q&A Archive

Note: This is for informational purposes only. Doctors cannot provide a diagnosis or individual treatment advice via e-mail. Please consult your physician about your specific health care concerns.

Eisenmenger syndrome - Symptom

Alternative Names

Eisenmenger complex; Eisenmenger disease; Eisenmenger reaction; Eisenmenger physiology

Symptoms:

Abnormal heart rhythm (arrhythmia)
Bluish lips, fingers, toes, and skin (cyanosis)
Chest pain
Coughing up blood
Dizziness
Fainting
Feeling tired
Shortness of breath
Stroke
Swelling in the joints caused by too much uric acid (gout)

Signs and tests:

The doctor will examine the child. During the exam, the doctor may find:

Enlarged fingers and toes (clubbing)
Heart murmur (an extra sound when listening to the heart)

The doctor will diagnose Eisenmenger syndrome by looking at the patient' s history of heart problems. Tests may include:

Complete blood count (CBC)
Chest x-ray
MRI scan of the heart
Putting a thin tube in an artery to view the heart and blood vessels and measure pressures (cardiac catheterization)
Test of the electrical activity in the heart (electrocardiogram)
Ultrasound of the heart (echocardiogram)

The number of cases of this condition in the United States has dropped because doctors are now able to diagnose and correct the defect sooner, before the irreversible damage to the small lung arteries occurs.

Eisenmenger syndrome

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

Pulmonary hypertension. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2007:chap 433.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is an independent audit to verify that A.D.A.M. follows rigorous standards of quality and accountability. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial policy, editorial process and privacy policy. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

Connect with UMMC

© 2011 University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC). All rights reserved.
UMMC is a member of the University of Maryland Medical System,
22 S. Greene Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. TDD: 1-800-735-2258 or 1.866.408.6885

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)