Definition: A syndrome of persistent PULMONARY HYPERTENSION in the newborn infant (INFANT, NEWBORN) without demonstrable HEART DISEASES. This neonatal condition can be caused by severe pulmonary vasoconstriction (reactive type), hypertrophy of pulmonary arterial muscle (hypertrophic type), or abnormally developed pulmonary arterioles (hypoplastic type). The newborn patient exhibits CYANOSIS and ACIDOSIS due to the persistence of fetal circulatory pattern of right-to-left shunting of blood through a patent ductus arteriosus (DUCTUS ARTERIOSUS, PATENT) and at times a patent foramen ovale (FORAMEN OVALE, PATENT).
also known as PPHN; check the tags HUMANS & INFANT, NEWBORN; DF: PFC SYNDROME
See AlsoDuctus Arteriosus, Patent
Other names Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of Newborn; Hypertension, Pulmonary, of Newborn, Persistent; Fetal Circulation, Persistent; Pulmonary Hypertension, Familial Persistent, of th; Persistent Fetal Circulation; Circulation, Persistent Fetal
