Results and Complications After Single-Stage Repair of Aortopulmonary Window and Interrupted Aortic Arch in a 32-Week Preterm and a Full-Term Neonate.

BACKGROUND An aortopulmonary window (APW) is an uncommon congenital defect of the septation between the ascending aorta and pulmonary trunk. The combination of APW and interrupted aortic arch (IAA) is even rarer, with the hallmark characteristics of high peri-operative mortality and postoperative obstruction of the aortic arch, pulmonary artery, and left main bronchus. These complications often need re-interventions. CASE REPORT We present 2 cases with diagnoses of APW and IAA that were treated with single-stage repair. Case 1: A male 32-week premature newborn (weight 1789 g) had APW type I and IAA type A. He had severe postoperative aortic arch obstruction on postoperative day 1, and we re-intervened promptly. He was still asymptomatic after 6 years. Case 2: A male term neonate had APW type III and IAA type A. He had left vocal cord paralysis and left bronchial compression postoperatively. We applied prolonged noninvasive respiratory supports. The complications resolved without re-intervention on postoperative day 66. Progressive arch stenosis at anastomosis after operation required close follow-up with echocardiography. CONCLUSIONS These 2 reports highlight the feasibility of single-stage surgical repair while addressing 2 challenges: (1) Recurrent arch stenosis: Lower body weight and direct end-to-side anastomosis without patch augmentation could be risk factors for re-intervention. (2) Bronchial compression: Presentation of the second reported case implied that bronchial compression may not warrant immediate re-intervention unless there is complete obstruction, persistent atelectasis, or recurrent infection. Further studies on long-term outcomes of different surgical procedure would help us to clarify the proper way to avoid re-intervention.

Optical Coherence Tomography in a 9-Year-Old Kawasaki Disease Patient with Giant Coronary Artery Aneurysms and Acute Myocardial Infarction.

BACKGROUND Kawasaki disease (KD), a systemic vasculitis, affects children aged <5 years and is the leading acquired cardiovascular disease in developed countries. Although intravenous immunoglobulin is an effective treatment for KD and decreases the rate of cardiovascular complications, some patients still develop coronary sequelae, including coronary aneurysms and myocardial infarction. CASE REPORT A 9-year-old boy was diagnosed with KD at the age of 6 years. For coronary sequelae of a giant coronary artery aneurysm (CAA) 8.8 mm in diameter, he was prescribed aspirin and warfarin. At 9 years old, he visited the Emergency Department because of acute chest pain. Electrocardiography revealed an incomplete right bundle branch block and ST-T change over right and inferior leads. Also, troponin I was elevated. Coronary angiography found acute thrombotic occlusion of the right CAA. We performed aspiration thrombectomy with intravenous tirofiban. Coronary angiography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) images later found white thrombi, calcification, destruction of media layer, irregular intimal thickening, and uneven intima edge. We prescribed antiplatelet therapy and warfarin, and he was doing well at a 3-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS OCT is a promising modality that can impact the clinical care in patients with coronary artery disease. This report presents treatment management and OCT images of KD complicated with a giant CAA and acute myocardial infarction. We used aspiration thrombectomy in combination with medical treatments as the initial intervention strategy. Afterward, the OCT images showed vascular wall abnormalities, which were helpful for defining the future risk and decision making of further coronary interventions and medical treatments.