Double Outlet Right Ventricle: A Rare Finding in a 15‐Month‐Old Female With Failure to Thrive

ABSTRACT

Double outlet right ventricle (DORV) is a rare congenital heart defect where both the aorta and pulmonary artery originate from the right ventricle, often accompanied by additional cardiac anomalies to mitigate circulatory imbalance, though such compensations usually fail. We report a 15‐month‐old infant with recurrent respiratory infections and poor weight gain, referred for computed tomography angiography. Physical examination showed a small, non‐syndromic infant with pallor, tachypnea, irritability, and finger clubbing. Initial imaging revealed cardiomegaly and lung infiltrates; echocardiography and computed tomography angiography confirmed additional intracardiac defects of double superior vena cavae, a hypoplastic aortic arch, hypertrophic right ventricular wall, and a patent ductus arteriosus. Corrective surgery was delayed due to respiratory complications. This case emphasizes the critical need to consider cardiac pathology in pediatric patients with recurrent respiratory symptoms, as untreated DORV can lead to high mortality.