Symptoms & Signs
Symptoms of ECD may include:
- Baby tires easily
- Bluish skin color (the lips may also be blue)
- Failure to gain weight and grow
- Frequent pneumonia
- Lack of appetite
- Pale skin (pallor)
- Rapid breathing
- Rapid heartbeat
- Sweating
- Swollen legs or abdomen (rare in children)
- Trouble breathing, especially during feeding
Diagnosis & Tests
Signs of ECD may include:
- An abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG)
- An enlarged heart
- Heart murmur
- High blood pressure in the lungs
Children with partial ECD, who have only a small VSD and normal valves, may not have signs or symptoms of the disorder during childhood.
Tests to diagnose ECD include:
- Ultrasound of the heart (echocardiogram) to see blood flow
- An electrocardiogram (ECG), which measures the electrical activity in the heart
- Chest x-ray, which may show an enlarged heart
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the heart, which provides a detailed image of the heart through the use of powerful magnets
- Cardiac catheterization (in some cases), a procedure in which a thin tube (catheter) is placed into the heart to see blood flow and take accurate measurements of blood pressure and oxygen levels
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Endocardial cushion defect : Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
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Endocardial cushion defect : Symptoms & Signs, Diagnosis & Tests
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Endocardial cushion defect : Treatment
Review Date : 4/30/2008
Reviewed By : Mark A Fogel, MD, FACC, FAAP, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Radiology, Director of Cardiac MR, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Division of Cardiology, Philadelphia, PA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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