Truncus Arteriosus
The heart’s lower-right chamber (the right ventricle) and lower-left chamber (the left ventricle) are divided by a wall called the...
Archives
Heart Murmurs
Normal heart sounds come in pairs. The sounds are often described as a constant “lub-dub, lub-dub.” The first “lub-dub” is...
Mitral Valve Prolapse
What causes mitral valve prolapse? Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) is among the most common heart conditions, but it remains something...
Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is also called Reaven syndrome, insulin resistance syndrome, or Metabolic Syndrome X. People with metabolic syndrome have a clustering of the...
Tricuspid Atresia
The word “atresia” means “no opening.” In tricuspid atresia, the valve is missing between the upper-right chamber (the right atrium)...
Transposition of the Great Arteries
The “great arteries” are the pulmonary artery and the aorta. Normally, the pulmonary artery is connected to the heart’s lower-right...
Marfan Syndrome
Marfan syndrome is a rare disorder that causes the connective tissue in the body to be weaker than it should...
Long Q-T Syndrome
Long Q-T syndrome (LQTS) is a disorder of the heart’s conduction system. The disorder affects a process called repolarization, which is...
Kawasaki Disease
Kawasaki disease affects children. It is also known as Kawasaki syndrome or mucocutaneous lymph node syndrome. Kawasaki disease leads to swelling (inflammation) of...
Infective Endocarditis
If left untreated, endocarditis can cause other complications, such as a blood clot (embolism), an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), valve damage...
Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
With surgical repair or a heart transplant, about 70% of children born with HLHS live at least 5 years. In infants...
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an inherited disease that directly affects the heart muscle. Because of several high-profile cases of young...
