Navigating Congenital Heart Challenges

CardioNerds (Dr. Claire Cambron and Dr. Rawan Amir) join Dr. Ayan Purkayastha, Dr. David Song, and Dr. Justin Wang from NewYork-Presbyterian Queens for an afternoon of hot pot in downtown Flushing. They discuss a case of congenital heart disease presenting in adulthood. Expert commentary is provided by Dr. Su Yuan, and audio editing for this episode was performed by CardioNerds Intern, Julia Marques Fernandes.

A 53-year-old woman with a past medical history of hypertension visiting from Guyana presented with 2 days of chest pain. EKG showed dominant R wave in V1 with precordial T wave inversions. Troponin levels were normal, however she was started on therapeutic heparin with plan for left heart catheterization. Her chest X-ray revealed dextrocardia and echocardiogram was suspicious for the systemic ventricle being the morphologic right ventricle with reduced systolic function and the pulmonic ventricle being the morphologic left ventricle. Patient underwent coronary CT angiography which confirmed diagnosis of congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries (CCTGA) as well as minimal non-obstructive coronary artery disease. Her chest pain spontaneously improved and catheterization was deferred. Patient opted to follow with a congenital specialist back in her home country upon discharge.  

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Pearls- A Case of Congenital Heart Disease Presenting in Adulthood

1. Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries (CCTGA) is a rare and unique structural heart disease which presents as an isolated combination of atrioventricular and ventriculoarterial discordance resulting in physiologically corrected blood flow.  

2. CCTGA occurs due to L looping of the embryologic heart tube. As a result, the morphologic right ventricle outflows into the systemic circulation, and the morphologic left ventricle outflows into the pulmonary circulation.  

3. CCTGA is frequently associated with ventricular septal defects, pulmonic stenosis, tricuspid valve abnormalities and dextrocardia.  

4. CCTGA is often asymptomatic in childhood and can present later in adulthood with symptoms of morphologic right ventricular failure, tricuspid regurgitation, or cardiac arrhythmias.  

5. Systemic atrioventricular valve (SAVV) intervention can be a valuable option for treating right ventricular failure and degeneration of the morphologic tricuspid valve. 

notes- A Case of Congenital Heart Disease Presenting in Adulthood

Notes were drafted by Ayan Purkayastha. 

What is the pathogenesis of Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries?  

• Occurs due to disorders in the development of the primary cardiac tube  

• Bulboventricular part of the primary heart forms a left-sided loop instead of right-sided loop, leading to the normally located atria being connected to morphologically incompatible ventricles  

• This is accompanied by abnormal torsion of the aortopulmonary septum (transposition of the great vessels)  

• As a result, there is ‘physiologic correction’ of blood flow. Non-oxygenated blood flows into the right atrium and through the mitral valve into the morphologic left ventricle, which pumps blood into the pulmonary artery. Oxygenated blood from the pulmonary veins flows into the left atrium and through the tricuspid valve to the morphologic right ventricle, which pumps blood to the aorta. Compared with standard anatomy, the flow of blood is appropriate, but it is going through the incorrect ventricle on both sides. 

• Frequent conditions associated with CCTGA include VSD, pulmonic stenosis and dextrocardia  

What is the presentation of Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries?  

In cases without concomitant deficits CCTA is asymptomatic early in life and often for several decades. Cyanosis and dyspnea are common presenting symptoms.  

1. Systemic right ventricular dysfunction due to high systemic pressures over time 

2. Arrythmias, commonly AV block, due to abnormal structure of the conduction system  

3. Tricuspid valve regurgitation resulting from dilation of the right ventricle and tricuspid valve annulus 

What is Dextrocardia and how is it associated with CCTGA?  

• Dextrocardia is a cardiac positional anomaly where the heart is located in the right hemithorax with base to apex axis directed to the right and caudad  

• Dextrocardia can occur in up to 20% cases of CCTGA  

• Can be associated with both situs solitus (normal anatomic arrangement of chest and abdominal organs) or situs inversus (chest and abdominal organs are mirrored from their normal positions)  

How is CCTGA Diagnosed?   

• Transthoracic echocardiography is the primary diagnostic tool in CCTGA  

• Assessment of the systemic RV function is crucial but can be challenging. Techniques such as speckle tracking echocardiography and global longitudinal strain can help with assessment of systemic RV function  

• Cardiac MRI can also provide accurate measurements of ventricular volumes as well as quantification of valvular regurgitation  

What is the long-term management of CCTGA in adults?  

• Many patients with CCTGA and no associated lesions have long life expectancies with minimal or non-specific symptoms    

• Symptoms of circulatory failure occur mainly in 5^th and 6^th decades of life  

The 2018 AHA/ACC Guidelines for the Management of Adults with Congenital Heart Disease recommends the following routine follow-up and testing intervals for CCTGA 

• Physiologic stage A: Outpatient ACHD follow up every 12 months with ECG(12 months), TTE(12-24 months), Holter monitor(12-60 months), CMR/CCT and exercise test(36-60 months)  

• Physiologic stage B: outpatient ACHD follow up every 12 months with ECG and TTE(12 months), Holter monitor(12-60 months), CMR/CCT and exercise test(36-60 months)   

• Physiologic stage C: outpatient ACHD follow up every 6-12 months with ECG and TTE(12 months), pulse oximetry at each visit, Holter monitor(12-36 months), CMR/CCT and exercise test(12-24 months)  

• Physiologic stage D: outpatient ACHD follow up every 3-6 months, ECG and TTE every 12 months, pulse oximetry at each visit, Holter monitor, CMR/CCT and exercise test every 12 months  

What is the role of Systemic Atrioventricular Valve Surgery (SAVV) for treatment of CCTGA as an adult?  

• In CCTGA the morphologic tricuspid valve acts as the SAVV and is subject to functional deterioration from high systemic pressures  

• Tricuspid valve regurgitation is a key prognostic overall survival determinant in CCTGA patients  

• Studies have shown that 94% of patients with CCTGA suffered from intrinsic tricuspid valve abnormalities  

• SAV surgery remains a valuable option with low early mortality and good long-term outcomes, especially with ejection fraction > 40%.  

• The 2018 AHA/ACC Guidelines for the Management of Adults with Congenital Heart Disease recommends tricuspid valve replacement for symptomatic adults with CCTGA and severe TR and preserved or mildly depressed systemic ventricular function (class IB recommendation).  

References – A Case of Congenital Heart Disease Presenting in Adulthood

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2.        Susheel Kumar TK. Congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries. J Thorac Dis. 2020;12(3):1213-1218. doi:10.21037/jtd.2019.10.15 

3.        Osakada K, Ohya M, Waki K, Nasu H, Kadota K. Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries at Age 88 Years. CJC Open. 2020;2(6):726-728. doi:10.1016/j.cjco.2020.08.003 

4.        Munaf M, Farooqui S, Kazmi SK, Ul-Haque I. Congenitally Corrected Transposition of Great Arteries with Dextrocardia, Patent Ductus Arteriosus, Atrial Septal Defects and Ventricular Septal Defects in a 15-Year-Old Marfanoid Habitus Patient: A Case Study. Cureus. Published online July 1, 2020. doi:10.7759/cureus.8937 

5.        Abdelrehim AA, Stephens EH, Miranda WR, et al. Systemic Atrioventricular Valve Surgery in Patients With Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Vessels. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2023;82(23):2197-2208. doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2023.09.822 

6.        Lippmann MR, Maron BA. The Right Ventricle: From Embryologic Development to RV Failure. Curr Heart Fail Rep. 2022;19(5):325-333. doi:10.1007/s11897-022-00572-z 

7.        Brida M, Diller GP, Gatzoulis MA. Systemic Right Ventricle in Adults with Congenital Heart Disease. Circulation. 2018;137(5):508-518. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.117.031544 

8.        Bevilacqua F, Pasqualin G, Ferrero P, et al. Overview of Long-Term Outcome in Adults with Systemic Right Ventricle and Transposition of the Great Arteries: A Review. Diagnostics. 2023;13(13). doi:10.3390/diagnostics13132205 

9.        Maldjian PD, Saric M. Approach to dextrocardia in adults: Review. American Journal of Roentgenology. 2007;188(6 SUPPL.). doi:10.2214/AJR.06.1179 

10.      Kandakure PR, Katta Y, Batra MJ, Timmanwar A, Lakka VK, Reddy B. Dextrocardia and corrected transposition of the great arteries with rheumatic tricuspid stenosis: a unique association. Indian J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2019;35(2):230-232. doi:10.1007/s12055-018-0778-0 

11.      Stout KK, Daniels CJ, Aboulhosn JA, et al. 2018 AHA/ACC Guideline for the Management of Adults With Congenital Heart Disease: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2019;139(14):e698-e800. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000603 

12.      Zubrzycki M, Schramm R, Costard-Jäckle A, et al. Pathogenesis and Surgical Treatment of Congenitally Corrected Transposition of the Great Arteries (ccTGA): Part III. J Clin Med. 2024;13(18). doi:10.3390/jcm13185461