Diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary atresia and ventricular septal defect

Surgical repair of the intracardiac anatomy in patients with pulmonary atresia and ventricular septal defect can be performed today with a low operative mortality. Diagnostic and therapeutic problems in these patients are almost exclusively related to the nature of collateral lung perfusion and associated anomalies of the pulmonary vascular bed. These anomalies are frequently found in patients with major aortopulmonary collateral arteries and include multifocal pulmonary blood supply, hypoplasia, stenosis, or arborization anomalies of the pulmonary arteries. Diagnostic methods must focus on an exact identification of the collateral pulmonary blood supply, the presence and size of central pulmonary arteries, and the connections of the arterial segments. Recent genetic studies have shown that monosomy 22q11.2 is found in 25–32% of children with pulmonary atresia and ventricular septal defect. This microdeletion is significantly more frequent in patients with major aortopulmonary collateral arteries and it seems to be associated with a higher percentage of pulmonary arterial anomalies. During recent years, efforts have concentrated on earlier treatment of patients with pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect with combined catheter and surgical interventions. Early establishment of antegrade flow to the central pulmonary arteries stimulates growth of the pulmonary arteries, optimizes the angiographic diagnosis of abnormalities of the pulmonary vascular bed, and allows for the possibility of balloon angioplasty or stenting of the central pulmonary arteries.