codominant double aortic arch *** Possible TOF

Hi, my 18MO son has been diagnosed with a double aortic arch. he has had CT scan, MRI scan, broncoscopy, chest x ray not sure about ECG or echo. would they have found by these tests any other defects by now for example tetrology of fallot, he has no other symptoms apart from a sligh blueness from birth above his lip, no other cynosis. His sat levels are always nearly 100%. if hehad any other defects surely it would have been pucked up by now.

[Jeffrey R Boris, M.D.]

Although I cannot say for sure what evaluation was performed on your son, echocardiography is typically performed to ensure that there are no other cardiac defects associated with this.  That said tetralogy of Fallot is a complex cardiac defect that is typically found at birth and would not have gone this long without being detected.  The blueness above his lips is something that we typically see in infants and toddlers that has nothing to do with the heart; it would be more concerning if he was blue inside his mouth, such as at his lips and gums.  Finally, your cardiologist would have told you if your son had any other associated cardiac defects, as this would have to be dealt with at the time of surgical repair of the double aortic arch (or, as in tetralogy of Fallot, before now).