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Cyanotic heart disease

Cyanotic heart disease

Overview

Cyanotic heart disease is a congenital heart defect which results in low oxygen levels in the blood and causes the child's lips, fingers, and toes to look blue (cyanosis).

Review Date 10/1/2025

Updated by: Thomas S. Metkus MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine and Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.