Hypoplastic right heart syndrome

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Hypoplastic right heart syndrome is a congenital heart defect in which the right ventricle of the heart fails to grow and develop appropriately. The underdeveloped ventricle cannot contain the proper amount of blood pumped from the right atrium. The ventricle’s muscle structure is poor, so additional problems are encountered as the heart attempts to pump blood to the pulmonary valve for transfer to the lungs. Hypoplastic right heart syndrome needs immediate and emergency treatment, as the heart begins to fail almost immediately after birth. An inadequate blood supply to the lungs means a poor return of oxygenated blood to the body, and the muscle in the ventricle will exhaust easily.

Pathological Findings
Images shown below are Courtesy of Professor Peter Anderson DVM PhD and Published with permission. © PEIR, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Pathology

Additional Reading

 * Moss and Adams' Heart Disease in Infants, Children, and Adolescents Hugh D. Allen, Arthur J. Moss, David J. Driscoll, Forrest H. Adams, Timothy F. Feltes, Robert E. Shaddy, 2007 ISBN 0781786843
 * Hurst's the Heart, Fuster V, 12th ed. 2008, ISBN 978-0-07-149928-6
 * Willerson JT, Cardiovascular Medicine, 3rd ed., 2007, ISBN 978-1-84628-188-4