Unilateral pulmonary edema: Blalock-Taussig shunt in pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect
Patient Data
![](https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/2087344/f7de39a9fd7818cc92de00d95b03f3_thumb.jpg)
![](https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/2087345/de867049496372eedf1ceef5209ede_thumb.jpg)
![](https://prod-images-static.radiopaedia.org/images/2087344/f7de39a9fd7818cc92de00d95b03f3_big_gallery.jpg)
Posteroanterior chest radiograph demonstrate marked cardiomegaly with plethoric right lung. The right pulmonary artery are marked dilated receiving arterial blood from the BT shunt. The BT shunt (systemic-to-pulmonary artery shunt) presents a volume load to the heart and sequelae of congested cardiac failure is evident.
Case Discussion
The patient had cyanotic congenital heart disease with underdeveloped subpulmonic infundibulum/pulmonary valve atresia and associated ventricular septal defect (VSD). The patient underwent modified Blalock-Taussig (BT) shunt procedure and VSD repair in infancy. The modified BT shunt procedure entails the use of a synthetic graft, usually polytetrafluoroethylene, with anastamotic connection between the right subclacian artery and the right pulmonary artery.