Transposition of the great vessels

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Transposition of the great vessels

Alternative Names

Transposition of the great arteries

Symptoms

Blueness of the skin
Shortness of breath
Poor feeding
Clubbing of the fingers or toes

Exams and Tests

The health care provider may detect a heart murmur while listening to the chest with a stethoscope. The baby's mouth and skin would be a blue color.

Tests often include the following:

Chest x-ray
Cardiac catheterization
ECG
Echocardiogram (if done before birth, it is called a fetal echocardiogram)
Pulse oximetry (to check blood oxygen level)

References

Zipes DP, Libby P, Bonow RO, Braunwald E, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine, 8th ed. St. Louis, Mo; WB Saunders; 2007.


Heart, section through the middle


Heart, front view


Transposition of the great vessels

Review Date: 12/10/2007
Reviewed By: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.; and Mark A Fogel, MD, FACC, FAAP, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Radiology, Director of Cardiac MR, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

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