Aziz F, Abed M
Department of Internal Medicine, MSS M, Jersey City Campus, New Jersey, USA.
Cardiovasc J Afr. 2010 Jul-Aug;21(4):229-31. doi: 10.5830/cvja-2010-026.
In tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), the most common form of cyanotic congenital heart disease, only a few patients reach adulthood without surgical correction. We present a case of a woman with TOF who was diagnosed at the age of 39 when she presented with features of congestive heart failure. The main factor contributing to her longevity included the slow development of her pulmonary artery stenosis together with left ventricular hypertrophy. Less than 3% of all patients with uncorrected TOF survive beyond their 40s but late operative repair is still a valuable option. This case provides an insight into the late outcome of an older patient with uncorrected TOF.
在法洛四联症（TOF）这一最常见的青紫型先天性心脏病中，只有少数患者未经手术矫正而活到成年。我们报告一例患有法洛四联症的女性病例，她在39岁出现充血性心力衰竭症状时被确诊。她长寿的主要因素包括肺动脉狭窄发展缓慢以及左心室肥大。在所有未经矫正的法洛四联症患者中，不到3%的患者能活到40多岁以上，但晚期手术修复仍是一种有价值的选择。该病例为了解一名未经矫正的法洛四联症老年患者的晚期预后提供了线索。
