Truncus arteriosus

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Truncus arteriosus

Illustration showing truncus arteriosus

If your baby has truncus arteriosus, one very large vessel leads out of the heart, instead of two separate vessels, and there's a hole in the wall between the ventricles (ventricle septal defect). The oxygen-rich blood (red) and the oxygen-poor blood (blue) mix together, resulting in blood with an insufficient oxygen supply (purple) for the body. Infants with DiGeorge syndrome may be born with truncus arteriosus.

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