National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Transposition of the great arteries



Other Names:
DTGA; Dextro-looped transposition of the great arteries

Transposition of the great arteries (TGA) is a type of congenital heart defect in which there is a reversal of the normal connections of the aorta and the pulmonary artery with the heart. The aorta and pulmonary artery are reversed, which causes oxygen-poor blood to be circulated to the body and oxygen-rich blood to be circulated between the lungs and the heart, rather than to the body. Symptoms are apparent at birth and include great difficulty breathing and severe cyanosis (a bluish discoloration of the skin).[1] The exact cause of TGA in most cases is unknown.[2] Surgery is done to correct the abnormality during the first few days of life.[1]
Last updated: 6/27/2011

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

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Medical Terms Other Names
Learn More:
HPO ID
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Autosomal dominant inheritance 0000006
Incomplete penetrance 0003829
Transposition of the great arteries 0001669
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Last updated: 7/1/2020

The exact cause of TGA remains unknown. Some possible associated risk factors that have been proposed include gestational diabetes mellitus, maternal exposure to rodenticides and herbicides, and maternal use of anti-epileptic drugs. Changes (mutations) in specific genes including the GDF1, CFC1 and MED13L (also called THRAP2) genes have been implicated in only a small minority of TGA cases.[2][3]
Last updated: 6/27/2011

Making a diagnosis for a genetic or rare disease can often be challenging. Healthcare professionals typically look at a person’s medical history, symptoms, physical exam, and laboratory test results in order to make a diagnosis. The following resources provide information relating to diagnosis and testing for this condition. If you have questions about getting a diagnosis, you should contact a healthcare professional.

Testing Resources

  • The Genetic Testing Registry (GTR) provides information about the genetic tests for this condition. The intended audience for the GTR is health care providers and researchers. Patients and consumers with specific questions about a genetic test should contact a health care provider or a genetics professional.

If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

Healthcare Resources


Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Clinical Research Resources

  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists trials that are related to Transposition of the great arteries. Click on the link to go to ClinicalTrials.gov to read descriptions of these studies.

    Please note: Studies listed on the ClinicalTrials.gov website are listed for informational purposes only; being listed does not reflect an endorsement by GARD or the NIH. We strongly recommend that you talk with a trusted healthcare provider before choosing to participate in any clinical study.

Patient Registry

  • A registry supports research by collecting of information about patients that share something in common, such as being diagnosed with Transposition of the great arteries. The type of data collected can vary from registry to registry and is based on the goals and purpose of that registry. Some registries collect contact information while others collect more detailed medical information. Learn more about registries.

    Registries for Transposition of the great arteries:
    CHD GENES Study
     

Support and advocacy groups can help you connect with other patients and families, and they can provide valuable services. Many develop patient-centered information and are the driving force behind research for better treatments and possible cures. They can direct you to research, resources, and services. Many organizations also have experts who serve as medical advisors or provide lists of doctors/clinics. Visit the group’s website or contact them to learn about the services they offer. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement by GARD.

Organizations Supporting this Disease


These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

Where to Start

  • MedlinePlus was designed by the National Library of Medicine to help you research your health questions, and it provides more information about this topic.
  • The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library provides information on this condition for patients and caregivers. 

In-Depth Information

  • Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Transposition of the great arteries. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know. Submit a new question

  • I have had 2 boys who were born with TGA. I am trying to find out if there is any information about other families in which this has happened more than once. We have been for genetic testing but are still waiting for the results. Also, do you know where I could find studies on TGA? I would really like to read up more and learn all I can. See answer



  1. Gregory S. Liptak. Transposition of the Great Arteries. Merck Manuals. April 2006; http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/sec23/ch265/ch265b.html#sec23-ch265-ch265b-306. Accessed 6/27/2011.
  2. Paula Martins and Eduardo Castela. Transposition of the great arteries. Orphanet Journal of Rarer Diseases. October 2008; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2577629/?tool=pubmed. Accessed 6/27/2011.
  3. Victor A. McKusick et al. TRANSPOSITION OF THE GREAT ARTERIES, DEXTRO-LOOPED 1; DTGA1. OMIM. October 10, 2007; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/omim/608808. Accessed 6/27/2011.