title: Unoperated tetralogy of Fallot in a 68-year-old patient.
abstract: Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the most common cyanotic congenital heart disease, generally treated with total correction within the first two years of life. Occasionally, some unoperated cases can reach older ages. A 68-year-old woman with diabetes mellitus presented with swelling in legs and abdomen, weakness, exertional dyspnea, and orthopnea. On physical examination, she had mild cyanosis with clubbing. Her blood pressure was 110/60 mmHg and pulse rate was 79 beat/min. She had a systolic ejection murmur and bilateral rales on basal lung areas. Massive edema was noted in both lower limbs. Electrocardiography showed atrial fibrillation with normal ventricular response. Chest radiography showed an increased cardiothoracic ratio and bilateral minimal pleural effusion. Echocardiography showed biatrial dilatation (right atrium 62 mm, left atrium 49 mm) and thickening of left ventricular walls. There was right ventricular hypertrophy with decreased systolic function. A very large ventricular septal defect and severe pulmonary stenosis were noted. The patient did not accept any interventional procedure. To our knowledge, this is the oldest unoperated TOF case reported from our country.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Gülhane Military Medical School, Ankara, Turkey. myokusoglu@gata.edu.tr
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yokuşoğlu
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Köz
authors.forename: Oben
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Baysan
authors.forename: Nezihi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bariş
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology; D003490:Cyanosis / Q000209:etiology; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology; D004487:Edema / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000150:complications; D013771:Tetralogy of Fallot / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D016312:Treatment Refusal