Decoding the "blue baby mystery": understanding and treating tetralogy of Fallot
10.3760/cma.j.cn113903-20250519-00258
- VernacularTitle:破解蓝婴之谜：法洛四联症的认识与治疗历程
- Author:
Yanan JIN
1
;
Wenpei TANG
Author Information
1. 河北大学宋史研究中心，保定 071002
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Tetralogy of Fallot;
Cyanotic congenital heart disease;
Blalock-Taussig shunt;
History of cardiac surgery
- From:
Chinese Journal of Perinatal Medicine
2025;28(12):1169-1173
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), historically termed "blue malady," is the most common cyanotic congenital heart defect. Its anatomical features were first documented by a Danish physician in 1671, with the formal concept of "tetralogy" introduced by Fallot in 1888. In 1944, the collaborative efforts of Blalock, Taussig, and technician Vivien Thomas culminated in the first successful TOF surgery, inaugurating the era of surgical intervention for this condition. This surgical advance dramatically improved patient prognosis. This article traces the historical discovery, nomenclature, and therapeutic evolution of TOF, examining how deciphering the "blue baby mystery" catalyzed the transformation of cardiac surgery from early exploration into a paradigm of standardized intervention, reflecting the co-evolution of cognitive frameworks and technical systems in modern medicine's approach to complex congenital heart disease.
