RCIS Practice Test 2025 – All-in-One Exam Prep

The most common cause of pulmonic stenosis is congenital, meaning it is a condition that individuals are born with. Pulmonic stenosis is a type of heart defect characterized by a narrowing of the outflow tract from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery. This narrowing can obstruct blood flow, leading to an increased workload on the right ventricle.

Congenital pulmonic stenosis often results from the improper development of the pulmonary valve during fetal development. This condition can occur as an isolated defect or as part of a syndrome involving other heart abnormalities. The congenital nature of this defect is why it is the leading cause, especially in children, who may display symptoms like difficulty breathing, fatigue, and cyanosis.

While other options like rheumatic fever, cardiomyopathy, and infective endocarditis can lead to heart valve issues, they are not typically associated with pulmonic stenosis in the same way congenital factors are. Rheumatic fever primarily affects the mitral and aortic valves; cardiomyopathy relates more to the heart muscle itself rather than structural narrowing; and infective endocarditis usually invades previously normal or damaged heart valve structures rather than causing a primary narrowing at the pulmonary outflow tract.