Congenital heart disease is the most common congenital problem in pediatric age
group. It represents 30% of congenital anomalies in children. Presentation varies from
asymptomatic accidental findings to severe cardiac decompensation and death, especially
cyanotic lesions which has a high morbidity and mortality rate. Early recognition and
interventions has great implications on prognosis. The aim is to view, prevalence and gender
distribution of cyanotic congenital heart disease in Libyan children attending the cardiac
department at Tripoli children's hospital. Retrospective study, scrutinizing the clinical records
of all cases referred to the cardiac department at Tripoli children hospital who had been found
to suffer from congenital heart disease between January 2009 and December 2010. Inclusion
criteria: all children whose diagnosis has been confirmed to have congenital cyanotic heart
disease. We obtained all patients had history, clinicalexaminations findings, chest X ray,
ECG, ECHO and few CT angiography. Sex, age, mode of presentations, birth weight and type
of cyanotic lesions. A total of (103) children were included. There were 68 males (66%) and
35 females (34%). 25 patients had transposition of great arteries, TGA (24.3%), 21 patients
were Tetralogy Fallot, TOF, (20.4%), 13 patients with tricuspid atresia, TA, (12.6%), 11
patients were double outlet Right ventricle, DORV, (10.6%), 10 patients with single ventricle,
SV (9.7%), 9 patients with pulmonary atresia (PA) 8.7%. Nine more patients had different
rare cyanotic lesions (Ebestien anomaly, Truncusarteriosus, total anomaly pulmonary venous
return, persistent pulmonary hypertension and mitral atresia). Most of the patients present less
than three months of age (78.6%). Cyanosis and murmur were common presentation (35%,
31%, respectively). Nearly 50% of patient’s weight was < 3 kg at presentation. Significant
congenital cyanotic heart diseases are common and clinicians should have a high index of
suspicious of cyanotic heart disease in neonates and refer them as soon as possibleto pediatric
cardiologist to confirm diagnosis and to start appropriate management. Well timed early
detection and intervention is an indispensable requirement to decrease both mortality and
morbidity rates. 2D-echo with Doppler forms the gold standard for diagnosis of congenital
heart diseases.
Key words: Congenital heart disease, 2D echocardiography, TGA, TOF, Libya.

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