Pulmonary Stenosis
Pulmonary stenosis, also known as pulmonic stenosis, is the narrowing of the pulmonary outflow tract from the heart causing obstruction of blood flow from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery during systole or contraction.
Pulmonary stenosis is most often a result of a birth defect. That is, during development of the fetus in the mother’s uterus, the pulmonary vasculature or blood vessels did not form perfectly. Thus, this is a condition that primarily affects children.
Usually children remain without symptoms (asymptomatic) for many years and don’t need to go to the family doctor’s office until they are in late adolescent early adulthood. When they do start noticing symptoms of pulmonary stenosis, they can be mistaken for aortic stenosis. These symptoms include fainting spells, shortness of breath, and chest pains.
Pulmonary Stenosis
Diagnosis involves some simple tests and simply listening to the child’s chest and right neck with a stethoscope for a specific series of sounds. These sounds can be easily described here but unless you are trained to know what you are listening for, it will be nearly impossible to hear them. For example, a murmur generated by pulmonary stenosis does not radiate up the carotid arteries. The crescendo component also lengthens as pulmonary stenosis progresses.
The other diagnostic tool used to diagnose pulmonary stenosis is an echocardiogram.
Prognosis of pulmonary stenosis without treatment is generally good and improves with appropriate intervention. In severe cases, treatment is balloon valvuloplasty. Here a balloon is inserted in the stenosed area of the pulmonary valve or artery and inflated in an attempt to increase the size of the hole.