Congenital Heart Disease

Pulmonary Stenosis

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Signs and Symptoms

Pulmonary stenosis is a narrowing of the pulmonary valve that regulates the flow of blood from the right ventricle to the lungs. This narrowing may force the heart to pump harder to send blood to the lungs and lead to enlargement of the heart.

The heart consists of four chambers: the two upper chambers, called atria, where blood enters the heart; and the two lower chambers, called ventricles, where blood is pumped out of the heart. The flow between the chambers is controlled by a set of valves that act as one-way doors.

Normally blood is pumped from the right side of the heart through the pulmonary valve and the pulmonary artery to the lungs, where the blood is filled with oxygen. From the lungs, the blood travels back down to the left atrium and left ventricle. The newly oxygenated blood then is pumped through another big blood vessel called the aorta to the rest of the body.

The pulmonary valve has three leaflets or valves that work to open and close the valve. Stenosis can mean the valve may have only one or two leaflets, or the leaflets may be stuck together.

Children with pulmonary stenosis often have no symptoms. If the condition is severe, symptoms may include turning blue or cyanosis, rapid breathing, poor feeding and low energy.

Last reviewed in March 2003 by health care specialists at UCSF Children's Hospital.