ABSTRACT
Isolated patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is one of the commoner congenital heart lesions comprising approximately 10% of congenital heart disease.1 Most patients are asymptomatic as the PDA tends to be small or moderate in size (< 3.5-4.0 mm). Diagnosis is suspected on the presence of continuous murmur. Large PDAs may present with high output cardiac failure, frequent chest infections, and failure to thrive. Bounding pulses and a continuous murmur are characteristic, though with the development of pulmonary hypertension the diastolic component of the murmur may disappear and the second heart sound may become loud. The diagnosis of PDA, and the evaluation of its size and hemodynamic impact, is easily made by two-dimensional (2D) and Doppler echocardiography.
