Patent ductus arteriosus

Patent ductus arteriosus is a congenital cardiovascular condition characterized by the failure of the ductus arteriosus—a fetal vascular shunt connecting the proximal descending aorta to the pulmonary artery—to close spontaneously after birth Persistence of this duct leads to pathological left-to-right shunting of oxygenated blood from the high-pressure systemic circulation into the low-pressure pulmonary circulation

Patent ductus arteriosus is a congenital cardiovascular condition characterized by the failure of the ductus arteriosus—a fetal vascular shunt connecting the proximal descending aorta to the pulmonary artery—to close spontaneously after birth

Primarily affecting neonates, with an incidence inversely proportional to gestational age and birth weight, it is particularly prevalent in premature infants This hemodynamic alteration produces pulmonary overcirculation, systemic hypoperfusion, and volume overload, clinically manifesting with findings such as a continuous murmur, bounding peripheral pulses, tachypnea, and an increased risk of congestive heart failure

Persistence of this duct leads to pathological left-to-right shunting of oxygenated blood from the high-pressure systemic circulation into the low-pressure pulmonary circulation This hemodynamic alteration produces pulmonary overcirculation, systemic hypoperfusion, and volume overload, clinically manifesting with findings such as a continuous murmur, bounding peripheral pulses, tachypnea, and an increased risk of congestive heart failure