Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Cyanotic heart defect overview
Introduction
Overview
Overview
A cyanotic heart defect is a group-type of congenital heart defects (CHDs). The patient appears blue (cyanotic), due to deoxygenated blood bypassing the lungs and entering the systemic circulation. This can be caused by right-to-left or bidirectional shunting, or malposition of the great arteries. Such defects include persistent truncus arteriosus, total anomalous pulmonary venous connection, tetralogy of Fallot, transposition of the great vessels, and tricuspid atresia.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Keri Shafer, M.D. [2]; Kalsang Dolma, M.B.B.S.[3]