Congenital heart disease pathophysiology


 * Associate Editor-In-Chief: Priyamvada Singh, MBBS [mailto:psingh@perfuse.org]; Assistant Edtior-In-Chief: Kristin Feeney, B.S. [mailto:kfeeney@perfuse.org]

Overview
Congenital heart disease directly influences the normal mechanical, physical and biomechanical functioning of the heart. There are many forms of congenital heart disease and subsequently, each condition holds its own unique pathophysiology.

Pathophysiology
During fetal development, a congenital heart disease will directly influence the formation of the anatomical structure of the heart. This in turn influences the normal mechanical, physical and biomechanical functioning of the heart. Refer to the following sections for the unique pathophysiology of each specific condition.


 * Aortic stenosis
 * Atrial septal defect
 * Atrioventricular canal
 * Coarctation of aorta
 * Patent ductus arteriosus
 * Tetralogy of fallot
 * Total anomalous pulmonary venous connection
 * Tricuspid atresia
 * Truncus arteriosus
 * Transposition of the great arteries
 * Ventricular septal defect

Pathological Findings
Images courtesy of Professor Peter Anderson DVM PhD and published with permission © PEIR, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Pathology