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Previous Volume 329:1570-1572 November 18, 1993 Number 21 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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The lungs of the fetus do not have a role in gas exchange, since that function is served by the placenta. The fetal pulmonary vascular resistance is maintained at high levels to limit blood flow to the lungs, and the ductus arteriosus provides a conduit for blood entering the pulmonary artery to bypass the lungs and be directed into the descending aorta and the placenta.

Unlike the aorta and the main pulmonary arteries, the ductus has a predominantly muscular media. Most of the muscle fibers are oriented circumferentially, particularly in the outer layers¹. The muscle mass in the media . . . [Full Text of this Article]

References

Related Letters:

Transcatheter versus Surgical Closure of Patent Ductus Arteriosus
Markowitz J. S., Rothenberg S. S., Schrader R., Gray D. T., Fyler D. C., Chalmers T. C., Tynan M.
Extract | Full Text  
N Engl J Med 1994; 330:1014-1015, Apr 7, 1994. Correspondence

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