Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) Animated Video

In this video, doctors at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia describe the structure of a heart with tetralogy of Fallot (TOF).

Transcript

The Structure of a Heart with Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF)

The problem with Tetralogy of Fallot is that the orientation of the muscle on the inside of the heart is abnormal.

The septum, the partition between the two ventricles, forms slightly more anterior, or frontwards, than it should.

As that tissue that sits beneath the two great vessels is positioned in front of the pulmonary artery, it results in the four findings of tetralogy. First, there is a ventricular septal defect, or an opening, between the two lower pumping chambers. Second, there is a narrowing of the pathway from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery, or what we call "pulmonary stenosis." Third, there is a repositioning of the aorta, which is the vessel that delivers blood to the body, such that it's overriding the two lower pumping chambers. And fourth, there is development of thickening, or hypertrophy, of the right ventricle as the blood is ejected out through the narrowing of the pulmonary artery.

 

Topics Covered: Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF)

Related Centers and Programs: Cardiac Center