Truncus arteriosus: current approaches to diagnosis and treatment

The article presents the analysis of available literature data regarding the diagnosis and treatment of truncus arteriosus. Data on incidence, anatomy, and pathogenesis of this congenital heart disease were analyzed. The methods of surgical treatment of truncus arteriosus were reviewed taking into consideration the individual anatomical abnormalities, the most important of which was the truncus arteriosus valve dysfunction. The article reviews the milestones in the development of the approaches to the truncus arteriosus treatment including the correction of valvular disease. The authors concluded that the expanding diagnostic capabilities and advances in surgical treatment of truncus arteriosus lead to increase in a number of patients who require the followups in the postoperative period. This observation suggests that there is a high demand for further studies of longterm outcomes in patients with truncus arteriosus.