Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T08:21:12.515Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Clinical presentation, natural history, and outcome of patients with the absent pulmonary valve syndrome

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 January 2005

Nili Zucker
Affiliation:
Pediatric Cardiology Unit, Division of Pediatrics, Soroka University Medical Center and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Ilya Rozin
Affiliation:
Pediatric Cardiology Unit, Division of Pediatrics, Soroka University Medical Center and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Aviva Levitas
Affiliation:
Pediatric Cardiology Unit, Division of Pediatrics, Soroka University Medical Center and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
Eli Zalzstein
Affiliation:
Pediatric Cardiology Unit, Division of Pediatrics, Soroka University Medical Center and Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel

Abstract

So-called ‘absent pulmonary valve syndrome’ is a rare cardiac malformation, usually associated with tetralogy of Fallot. Congenital absence of the leaflets of the pulmonary valve is less common when the ventricular septum is intact. Characteristic features of the syndrome include dysplasia or absence of the pulmonary valvar leaflets, permitting severe pulmonary regurgitation, and aneurysmal dilation of the pulmonary arteries. The purpose of our study was to review our experience with patients diagnosed as having the absent pulmonary valve syndrome, and to describe their clinical presentation, natural history, and outcome. We reviewed retrospectively data from 18 patients with absent pulmonary valve syndrome, 10 boys and eight girls, treated between March 1983 and May 2003. We identified two groups of patients, one made up of 11 patients with a ventricular septal defect, in whom the morphology of the subpulmonary outflow tract was phenotypic for tetralogy of Fallot, and another group, with seven patients, having an intact ventricular septum. Family history of congenital heart disease was common only in patients with ventricular septal defect, being found in 73%, all of whom were diagnosed during infancy with variable respiratory distress. Diagnosis was delayed in 43% of the patients with an intact ventricular septum. Cardiac surgery was performed in eight patients with ventricular septal defect (73%), compared to only two patients (28%) with an intact ventricular septum. Overall mortality was 28%, with five patients dying. Although our sample was small, two clinical patterns emerged depending on the presence or absence of a ventricular septal defect. Patients with a ventricular septal defect and phenotypic features of tetralogy of Fallot have a strong family history of congenital cardiac disease, develop respiratory symptoms during infancy and exhibit a variable prognosis, despite cardiac surgery. Patients with an intact ventricular septum are usually asymptomatic, present later in life, and show a relatively benign prognosis.

Type
Original Article
Copyright
© 2004 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Crampton JD. Case of an anomalous state of the heart. Dub Med Trans NS 1830; 1: 34.Google Scholar
Favell CF. Malformation of heart. Prov Med Surg J 1842; 3: 440.Google Scholar
Chevers N. Recherches sur les maladies de l'artere pulmonaire. Arch Gen Med 1847; 15: 488508.Google Scholar
Vlad P, Weidman M, Lambert EC. Congenital pulmonary regurgitation: a report of six autopsy cases. Am J Dis Child 1960; 100: 640641.Google Scholar
Lev M, Eckner FAO. The pathologic anatomy of tetralogy of Fallot and its variations. Dis Chest 1964; 45: 251.Google Scholar
Rao BN, Anderson RC, Edwards JE. Anatomic variations in the tetralogy of Fallot. Am Heart J 1971; 81: 361371.Google Scholar
Van Praagh R, Van Praagh S, Nebesar RA, Muster AJ, Sinha SN. Tetralogy of Fallot: underdevelopment of the pulmonary infundibulum and its sequelae. Am J Cardiol 1970; 26: 2533.Google Scholar
Lakier JB, Stanger P, Heymann MA, Hoffman JI, Rudolph AM. Tetralogy of Fallot with absent pulmonary valve. Natural history and hemodynamic considerations. Circulation 1974; 50: 167175.Google Scholar
Pinsky WW, Nihill MR, Mullins CE, Harrison G, McNamara DG. The absent pulmonary valve syndrome: consideration of management. Circulation 1978; 57: 159162.Google Scholar
Conte S, Serraf A, Godart F, Lacour-Gayet F, Petit J, Bruniaux J, Planche C. Technique to repair tetralogy of Fallot with absent pulmonary valve. Ann Thorac Surg 1997; 63: 14891491.Google Scholar
Hew CC, Daebritz SH, Zurakowski D, del Nido PI, Mayer JE, Jonas RA. Valved homograft replacement of aneurismal pulmonary arteries for severely symptomatic absent pulmonary valve syndrome. Ann Thorac Surg 2002; 73: 17781785.Google Scholar
Freedom RM, Patel RG, Bloom KR, Duckworth JW, Silver MM, Dische R, Rowe RD. Congenital absence of the pulmonary valve associated with imperforate membrane type of tricuspid atresia, right ventricular tensor apparatus and intact ventricular septum: A curious developmental complex. Eur J Cardiol 1979; 10: 171196.Google Scholar
Alpert BS, Moore HV. “Absent” pulmonary valve with atrial septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus. Pediatr Cardiol 1985; 6: 107111.Google Scholar
Grotenhuis HB, Nijveld A, Bachx A. Absent pulmonary valve syndrome with intact ventricular septum and patent ductus arteriosus: report of two cases and a short review of the literature. Ann Thorac Surg 2003; 75: 280282.Google Scholar
Horigome H, Sakakibara Y, Atsumi N, Miyamoto T, Sato H. Absent pulmonary valve with intact ventricular septum presenting as cardiorespiratory failure at birth. Pediatr Cardiol 1997; 18: 136138.Google Scholar
Thanopoloulos BD, Fischer EA, Hastreiter AR. Large ductus arteriosus and intact ventricular septum associated with congenital absence of the pulmonary valve. Br Heart J 1986; 55: 602604.Google Scholar
Rabinovitch M, Grady S, David I, Van Praagh R, Sauer U, Buhlmeyer K, Castaneda AR, Reid L. Compression of intrapulmonary bronchi by abnormally branching pulmonary arteries associated with absent pulmonary valves. Am J Cardiol 1982; 50: 804813.Google Scholar
Emmanouilides GC, Thanopoulos B, Siassi B, Fishbein M. “Agenesis” of ductus arteriosus associated with the syndrome of tetralogy of Fallot and absent pulmonary valve. Am J Cardiol 1976; 37: 403409.Google Scholar
Ettedgui JA, Sharlan GK, Chita SK, Cook A, Fagg N, Allan LD. Absent pulmonary valve syndrome with ventricular septal defect: Role of the arterial duct. Am J Cardiol 1990; 66: 233234.Google Scholar
Yeager SB, Van Der Velde ME, Waters BL, Sanders SP. Prenatal role of the ductus arteriosus in absent pulmonary valve syndrome. Echocardiography 2002; 19: 489493.Google Scholar
Podzimkova J, Hickey MStJ, Slavik Z, Leanage R, Chan Chen K. Absent pulmonary valve syndrome with intact ventricular septum: role of ductus arteriosus revisited. Int J Cardiol 1997; 61: 109112.Google Scholar
Thomas JA, Graham JM. Chromosome 22q11 deletion syndrome: an update and review for the primary pediatrician. Clinic Pediatr 1997; 36: 253266.Google Scholar