The key difference between patent ductus arteriosus and truncus arteriosus is that patent ductus arteriosus is a congenital heart defect that causes a persistent opening between the two major blood vessels leading from the heart, while truncus arteriosus is a congenital heart defect that causes a single common blood vessel to come out of the heart instead of the usual two vessels.
Patent ductus arteriosus and truncus arteriosus are two congenital heart defects. These conditions occur in babies or infants. As patent ductus arteriosus and truncus arteriosus cause complications, these conditions should be corrected through surgical procedures as soon as possible in a healthcare setup.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Patent Ductus Arteriosus
3. What is Truncus Arteriosus
4. Similarities – Patent Ductus Arteriosus and Truncus Arteriosus
5. Patent Ductus Arteriosus vs Truncus Arteriosus in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Patent Ductus Arteriosus vs Truncus Arteriosus
What is Patent Ductus Arteriosus?
Patent ductus arteriosus is a congenital heart defect that causes a persistent opening between the two major blood vessels leading from the heart. Normally, there is an opening in the blood flow system of the baby in the womb which usually closes shortly after birth. But if it remains open, it causes patent ductus arteriosus. The symptoms of this condition may include poor eating that leads to poor growth, sweating with crying or eating, persistent fast breathing, easily tiring, and rapid heart rate. The exact cause of this condition is not known, but the risk factors include premature birth, family history and other genetic conditions, German measles during pregnancy, being born at a high altitude, and being a female. This condition may also cause complications such as pulmonary hypertension, heart failure, and heart infection.
Figure 01: Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Patent ductus arteriosus can be diagnosed through physical examination, medical history, echocardiogram, chest X-ray, electrocardiogram, and cardiac catheterization. Furthermore, treatment options for patent ductus arteriosus include medications (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and surgical and other procedures (using a catheter or open heart surgery).
What is Truncus Arteriosus?
Truncus arteriosus is a congenital heart defect that causes a single common blood vessel to come out of the heart instead of the usual two vessels. Having only one large blood vessel leads to a mix of oxygen-poor and oxygen-rich blood. The symptoms of this condition include blue or gray skin due to low oxygen, excessive sleepiness, poor growth, poor feeding, pounding heartbeat, fast breathing, and shortness of breath. The exact cause of this condition is not known, but genetics and environment play a role.
The risk factors of this condition include virus illness during pregnancy, poorly controlled diabetes during pregnancy, certain medicine taken during pregnancy, certain chromosomal disorders, smoking during pregnancy, alcohol use, and obesity. The complications of truncus arteriosus may include breathing problems, pulmonary hypertension, enlargement of the heart, and heart failure.
Figure 02: Truncus Arteriosus
Truncus arteriosus can be diagnosed through physical examination, pulse oximetry, chest X-ray, and echocardiogram. Furthermore, treatment options for truncus arteriosus include medications (water pills and positive inotropes), surgery, and other procedures (rebuilding a single large vessel and aorta, separating the upper part of the pulmonary artery from the single large vessel, using a patch to close the hole between two lower heart chambers, and using a tube and valve to connect right lower heart chamber with upper pulmonary artery).
What are the Similarities Between Patent Ductus Arteriosus and Truncus Arteriosus?
- Patent ductus arteriosus and truncus arteriosus are two congenital heart defects.
- Both these conditions occur in babies or infants.
- They are due to unknown reasons.
- Both these conditions can be diagnosed through physical examination and echocardiogram.
- As patent ductus arteriosus and truncus arteriosus cause complications, these conditions should be corrected through medicines and surgical procedures.
What is the Difference Between Patent Ductus Arteriosus and Truncus Arteriosus?
Patent ductus arteriosus is a congenital heart defect that causes a persistent opening between the two major blood vessels leading from the heart, while truncus arteriosus is a congenital heart defect that causes a single common blood vessel to come out of the heart instead of the usual two vessels. Thus, this is the key difference between patent ductus arteriosus and truncus arteriosus. Furthermore, the risk factors for patent ductus arteriosus include premature birth, family history, and other genetic conditions, German measles during pregnancy, being born at a high altitude, and being a female. On the other hand, the risk factors for truncus arteriosus include virus illness during pregnancy, poorly controlled diabetes during pregnancy, certain medicines taken during pregnancy, certain chromosomal disorders, smoking during pregnancy, alcohol use, and obesity.
The below infographic presents the differences between patent ductus arteriosus and truncus arteriosus in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Patent Ductus Arteriosus vs Truncus Arteriosus
Patent ductus arteriosus and truncus arteriosus are two congenital heart defects that can be life-threatening. These conditions occur mainly in babies or infants. Patent ductus arteriosus is a congenital heart defect that causes a persistent opening between the two major blood vessels leading from the heart, while truncus arteriosus is a congenital heart defect that causes a single common blood vessel to come out of the heart instead of the usual two vessels. So, this summarizes the difference between patent ductus arteriosus and truncus arteriosus.
Reference:
1. “Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA).” Www.heart.org, 23 Jan. 2023.
2. “Truncus Arteriosus.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 12 Nov. 2022.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Truncus Arteriosus” By Niels Olson (talk) – I created this work entirely by myself. (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Blausen 0707 PatentDuctusArteriosus” By Blausen.com staff (2014). “Medical gallery of Blausen Medical 2014”. WikiJournal of Medicine 1 (2). DOI:10.15347/wjm/2014.010. ISSN 2002-4436. – Own work (CC BY 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia