Can Arterial Catheter Tortuosity Be Cured?

The arterial duct can be cured with tortuosity. The arterial duct is located between the initial portion of the descending aorta and the opening of the left pulmonary artery, serving as a physiological channel guiding the blood flow from the pulmonary artery into the descending aorta during fetal circulation.

During the fetal period, the alveolar sacs collapse completely, and there is no respiratory activity. The resistance of pulmonary vessels is high, and the majority of blood expelled from the right ventricle flows through the arterial duct into the descending aorta to supply the lower half of the fetus. Part of the blood reaches the placenta through the umbilical artery, undergoes metabolic exchange with the mother's blood within the placenta, and then returns to the fetal circulation through the umbilical vein.

After birth, as the blood oxygen saturation rises, the smooth muscle in the middle layer of the arterial duct contracts, leading to functional closure within 10 to 15 hours. However, there can be cases of delayed closure. Anatomically, the arterial duct gradually closes to form the arterial ligament around three months after birth. If it fails to close, it is referred to as patent ductus arteriosus (PDA).

Tortuosity of the arterial duct is not a disease name but a medical description found in imaging examinations such as chest radiography, vascular ultrasonography, and four-dimensional ultrasonography. Common examples include aortic tortuosity, temporal artery tortuosity, and arterial duct tortuosity.

Aortic tortuosity is a description in radiological X-ray examinations, representing morphological changes in the arterial vessels due to arteriosclerosis. It is primarily observed in chest radiographs as a prominent aortic knob and a significant curvature of the descending aorta, rather than a straight descending appearance.

Arterial duct tortuosity occurs when the arterial duct, which is the vascular channel connecting the aorta and the main pulmonary artery in the fetus, is excessively long. This tortuous state may affect the fetal blood circulation and have a certain impact on fetal development, necessitating regular follow-up examinations.

Neonatal PDA with tortuosity is a congenital developmental abnormality, accounting for approximately 5% of all congenital heart diseases. PDA exhibits the most diverse morphological variations, which can be classified into several types based on the morphology of the unclosed duct. The most common clinical types are ampulla, funnel, and tubular.

PDA with tortuosity is caused by congenital factors. As the unclosed duct continues to grow over time, it can maintain its tortuous morphology. It is recommended to undergo traditional or non-invasive surgical treatments for PDA.