Patent ductus arteriosus is a heart condition where a foetal blood vessel between the aorta and pulmonary artery does not close after birth, leaving an abnormal connection.
Small PDAs may cause no symptoms. Larger ones can cause poor feeding, fast breathing, tiredness, poor weight gain in infants, and a heart murmur on examination.
Imaging confirms the PDA, measures its size, and checks how much extra blood flow is going to the lungs.
Echocardiography is the test of choice; chest X-ray may show changes in heart size and lung blood flow.
Treatment depends on the size and symptoms — observation for small ones, medications in premature infants, and catheter-based closure or surgery for larger ones causing symptoms.
This entry explains the condition. The next step is having a radiologist interpret your specific scan, not a general definition.
