Congenital cardiac disease with cyanosis

Congenital cardiac disease with cyanosis implies that cyanosis is a major feature at presentation.

They are disorders where the shunt is right to left. These conditions are uncommon, especially in adults, since there is a high mortality if corrective cardiac surgery is not undertaken.

There are many examples of cyanotic congenital heart disease. More well known include:

• Fallot's tetralogy
• pulmonary stenosis
• Eisenmenger's syndrome
• transposition of the great vessels
• total anomalous pulmonary venous drainage
• tricuspid atresia
• pulmonary atresia

Clubbing of the fingers and toes is associated with cyanotic congenital heart disease - it does not appear until approximately 3 months of age. Clubbing appears first in the thumb (1).

Reference:

• Radley-Smith RC (1993).Physical signs of congenital heart lesions. Medicine International, 21(12), 467-73