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Partial anomalous pulmonary venous return is a rare heart condition that's present at birth. That means it is a congenital heart defect.
Other names for this condition are:
In this condition, some of the blood vessels of the lungs attach to the wrong place in the heart. These blood vessels are called the pulmonary veins.
In a typical heart, oxygen-rich blood returns from the lungs to the upper left heart chamber, called the left atrium. Then the blood goes to the body.
In PAPVR, blood flows from the lungs into the upper right heart chamber, called the right atrium, and then goes to the lungs, even though that blood already has oxygen. This means the right side of the heart has to handle extra blood flow. This may cause swelling of the right heart chambers.
Most people with PAPVR have a hole between the upper heart chambers called sinus venosus atrial septal defect. The hole lets blood flow between the upper heart chambers. Other heart problems also may occur.
Symptoms of partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (PAPVR) can include trouble breathing or fatigue. Sometimes, there are no noticeable symptoms.
Serious congenital heart defects are often diagnosed before or soon after a child is born. If you think that your baby has symptoms of a heart condition, call your child's healthcare professional.
Call your baby's healthcare professional if the baby has trouble breathing or other symptoms of PAPVR.
The exact cause of partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (PAPVR) is not known. Most congenital heart defects happen as the unborn baby's heart is forming before birth. An unborn baby also is called a fetus.
Changes in the genes, some medicines or health conditions, and environmental factors may play a role. Lifestyle choices, such as smoking during pregnancy, also may increase the risk of congenital heart defects in the baby.
What increases the risk of PAPVR is not well known. Possible risk factors for congenital heart defects may include:
To diagnose partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (PAPVR), a healthcare professional does a physical exam and listens to the heart and lungs. A whooshing sound, called a heart murmur, may be heard if there is a hole in the heart.
PAPVR may be diagnosed soon after birth. Other times, the condition is not discovered until later in life.
Tests are needed to diagnose partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (PAPVR).
An ultrasound of the heart called an echocardiogram can sometimes confirm PAPVR. This test uses sound waves to make pictures of the beating heart. An echocardiogram often shows the pulmonary veins, the size of the heart chambers and any holes in the heart. It also measures the speed of blood flow.
Sometimes, an echocardiogram may not detect PAPVR. Other tests such as a CT scan or MRI may be used.
Most patients with partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (PAPVR) need surgery. Surgery to repair the heart may be needed if:
If you don't have symptoms, surgery may not be needed. If surgery for another heart condition is needed, surgeons may repair PAPVR at the same time.
There are several types of surgery for PAPVR. Together, you and your surgeon will talk about the best options. During repair surgery, the heart surgeon will:
A person with partial anomalous pulmonary venous return needs regular health checkups for life to check for complications. It's best to see a doctor who is trained in congenital heart diseases. This type of doctor is called a congenital cardiologist.