Truncus Arteriosus 1

On September 12, 2007, my 28-year-old sister gave birth to her first baby (a seemingly healthy boy) through normal delivery. We named the baby Daniel. Two weeks after his birth, my sister noticed that her baby was having difficulty in breathing and she suspected that it could be the symptoms of a cold. They brought him to a clinic and my sister was advised to have Daniel undergo a chest X-ray. They got the results of the chest X-ray on October 2 and they were immediately instructed to bring Daniel to the Philippine Heart Center for an echocardiogram—a procedure that evaluates the structure and function of the heart by using sound waves recorded on an electronic sensor that produce a moving picture of the heart and heart valves.

That Wednesday morning, we brought Daniel to the Philippine Heart Center and after the echocardiogram; there the doctor told us that baby Daniel has a rare heart disorder which is called TRUNCUS ARTERIOSUS 1. What is truncus arteriosus 1?

Truncus arteriosus is a congenital (present at birth) defect that occurs due to abnormal development of the fetal heart during the first 8 weeks of pregnancy. The heart begins as a hollow tube, and the chambers, valves, and great arteries develop throughout the first 8 weeks of pregnancy. The aorta and pulmonary artery start as a single blood vessel, which eventually divides and becomes two separate arteries. Truncus arteriosus occurs when the single great vessel fails to separate completely, leaving a connection between the aorta and pulmonary artery.


In layman’s term, truncus arteriosus 1 is a condition where an artery in the heart does not split into two and remain as one blocking the regular flow of blood and oxygen.


This condition makes Daniel very uncomfortable. He has developed a very sensitive reaction to anything and everything around him. Even the slightest and the softest sound can startle him. Once startled and irritated, he begins to cry which further alleviates his discomforts. The doctor reminded us that as much as possible we should not let him cry for longer periods of time. We were also told to really watch his health closely for Daniel could not afford to have a fever, cold, or flu for it will be very critical for him.


Truncus arteriosus must be treated by a surgical repair of the defects. Surgery is usually performed after the infant is two weeks old but before the blood vessels in the lungs are overwhelmed by extra blood flow and become diseased. The operation is performed under general anesthesia by detaching the pulmonary arteries from the common artery and connecting to the right ventricle using a homograft (a section of pulmonary artery with its valves intact from a tissue donor). The ventricular septal defect is then closed with a patch.

The information and diagram was quoted from: Lucile Packard Children's Hospital

http://www.lpch.org/diseasehealthinfo/healthlibrary/cardiac/truncus.html