Complete Atrioventicular Canal

It consists of contiguous atrial and ventricular septal defect with markedly abnormal atrioventricular valves.

-Fig. 4.6 Complete atrioventricular canal. Large arrows indicate blood flow from left to right through atrial and ventricular communications. Small arrows indicate the possible blood back flow from ventricle to atria because of the atrioventricular valve incompetence -.

There is a single atrioventricular valve which is usually incompetent.
The lesion is common among children with Down Syndrome. The neonate with this feature usually have an increased pulmonary flow and develop pulmonary Hypertension associated with the consequences of the atrioventricular valve incompetence. Heart failure is the rule during the first months. The ideal time for the surgery of the CAVC is between 4 and 12 months of life before having permanent pulmonary damage from the pulmonary hypertension.

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