Rare congenital heart defect consisting of a single truncal valve replacing dual pulmonary and aortic valves, and a single major arterial trunk feeding the pulmonary, systemic, and coronary arteries. Early signs in newborns may be cyanosis, lethargy, poor feeding, tachycardia, tachypnea, sweating, heart murmur, and heart failure. Associated with genetic defect, as in DiGeorge syndrome and ventricular septal defect. Without intervention, truncus arteriosus puts infants at risk of serious vascular obstruction, functional impairment and increased risk of mortality.

Management includes surgical repair of ventricular septal defect and other corrective surgical procedures (Rastelli repair, cardiac catheterization) and therapies (anticongestive medication) to manage heart function and prevent heart failure.