%0 Journal Article
%T Transposition of the great arteries
%A Paula Martins
%A Eduardo Castela
%J Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases
%D 2008
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1750-1172-3-27
%X The diagnosis is confirmed by echocardiography, which also provides the morphological details required for future surgical management. Prenatal diagnosis by foetal echocardiography is possible and desirable, as it may improve the early neonatal management and reduce morbidity and mortality. Differential diagnosis includes other causes of central neonatal cyanosis. Palliative treatment with prostaglandin E1 and balloon atrial septostomy are usually required soon after birth. Surgical correction is performed at a later stage. Usually, the Jatene arterial switch operation is the procedure of choice. Whenever this operation is not feasible, adequate alternative surgical approach should be implemented. With the advent of newer and improved surgical techniques and post operative intensive care, the long-term survival is approximately 90% at 15 years of age. However, the exercise performance, cognitive function and quality of life may be impaired.Transposition of the great arteries; physiologically uncorrected transposition; complete transposition; atrioventricular concordance with ventriculoarterial discordance. The European paediatric cardiac code for this disease is 01.05.01.The transposition of the great arteries was first described by Mathew Baillie in 1797, in the second edition of the book "The Morbid Anatomy of Some of the Most Important Parts of the Human Body". However, the term transposition was only applied in 1814, by Farre, meaning that aorta and pulmonary trunk were placed (positio) across (trans) the ventricular septum.In fact, this congenital cardiac malformation is characterised by atrioventricular concordance and ventriculoarterial discordance. In other words, the morphological right atrium is connected to the morphological right ventricle which gives rise entirely to or most of the aorta; the morphological left atrium is connected to the morphological left ventricle from where the pulmonary trunk emerges [1].The term congenitally corrected transposition
%U http://www.ojrd.com/content/3/1/27