Tetralogy of Fallot shadow on the radiograph

Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
Updated on September 28, 2024
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Tetralogy of Fallot is the most common cyanotic heart disease in children over the age of one, accounting for about 10 percent of all congenital heart diseases. Tetralogy of Fallot includes four anatomical abnormalities: a ventricular septal defect, right ventricular outflow tract obstruction, an overriding aorta, and right ventricular hypertrophy. In patients diagnosed through X-ray, the heart size is often within normal limits, typically appearing boot-shaped, with markedly reduced pulmonary vascular markings. The aortic arch may be located on the right side, and the ascending aorta is usually dilated. Patients with rich collateral circulation display prominent pulmonary markings.

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Written by Hu Qi Feng
Pediatrics
37sec home-news-image

Tetralogy of Fallot in children who prefer squatting is because

Tetralogy of Fallot exhibits squatting symptoms because squatting involves flexing the lower limbs, which reduces the amount of venous return to the heart, thereby decreasing the cardiac workload. At the same time, the arteries of the lower limbs are compressed, increasing systemic vascular resistance, reducing right-to-left shunting, and temporarily alleviating hypoxia symptoms. Infants who cannot walk often prefer to be held with their thighs up, with both lower limbs bent; after they become able to walk, they frequently squat down momentarily during walking or playing.

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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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Is tetralogy of Fallot a chromosomal problem?

Tetralogy of Fallot is the most common cyanotic congenital heart disease in childhood, consisting of four defects: ventricular septal defect, obstruction of the right ventricular outflow tract, overriding aorta, and right ventricular hypertrophy. It is a type of congenital heart disease, which generally stems from abnormal cardiovascular development during fetal life, resulting in cardiovascular malformations not controlled by chromosomes. The malformation of the cardiovascular system is mainly caused by genetic factors, environmental factors, and their interactions. The exact cause of this congenital heart disease has not been fully identified yet, indicating that it is not a chromosomal disease but a result of cardiovascular developmental abnormalities during fetal life.

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Written by Yan Xin Liang
Pediatrics
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Is Tetralogy of Fallot hereditary?

Tetralogy of Fallot is a common cyanotic congenital heart disease in children, accounting for about ten percent of congenital heart diseases. It primarily consists of four abnormalities: ventricular septal defect, right ventricular outflow tract obstruction, overriding aorta, and left ventricular hypertrophy. Congenital heart disease is not a hereditary disease; it is not controlled by genes, mainly due to abnormal development of the heart and blood vessels during fetal development, leading to cardiovascular malformations. Thus, this disease is not hereditary.

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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.