Successful ductal stent implantation for initial palliation in two patients with aortic atresia and interrupted aortic arch.

The coexistence of aortic valve atresia and interrupted aortic arch are an extremely rare condition. In this pathology, blood flow to the ascending aorta and coronary arteries should be provided through the ductus arteriosus or collaterals originating from the descending aorta. In rare cases where bilateral ductus arteriosus is present, they can provide circulation. Here, we report two cases in which coronary arteries and ascending aorta were supplied by one ductus arteriosus and distal systemic circulation is supplied by a second ductus arteriosus in one patient and a collateral artery in the other. Initial palliation was successfully performed by bilateral pulmonary artery banding and transcatheter ductal stent implantation in both cases.

Relationship between myocardial bridging and fatal ventricular arrhythmias in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: the HCM-MB study.

BACKGROUND: Myocardial bridging (MB) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) are associated with the risk of fatal ventricular arrhythmias (VAs). The goal of the study was to determine the relationship between MB and fatal VAs in HCM patients with implantable cardiac defibrillators (ICD). METHODS: A total of 108 HCM patients (mean age: 46.6 ± 13.6 years; male: 73) were enrolled in this retrospective study. All patients underwent transthoracic echocardiography and coronary computed tomography angiography. Fatal VAs including sustained ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation were documented in ICD records. RESULTS: There were documented fatal VAs in 29 (26.8%) patients during a mean follow-up time of 71.3 ± 30.9 months. Compared with the other groups, the fatal VA group had a higher incidence of the following: presence of MB (82.8 vs. 38%, p < 0.001), deep MB (62.1 vs. 6.3%, p < 0.001), very deep MB (24.1 vs. 0%, p < 0.001), long MB (65.5 vs. 11.4%, p < 0.001), presence of > 1 MB (17.2 vs. 0%, p = 0.001), and MB of the left anterior descending artery (79.3 vs. 17.7%, p < 0.001) . Sudden cardiac death (SCD) risk score (hazard ratio: 1.194; 95% CI: 1.071-1.330; p = 0.001) and presence of MB (hazard ratio: 3.815; 95% CI: 1.41-10.284; p = 0.008) were found to be independent predictors of fatal VAs in HCM patients. CONCLUSIONS: The current data suggest that the SCD risk score and presence of MB were independent risk factors for fatal VAs in patients with HCM. In addition to conventional risk factors, the coronary anatomical course can provide clinicians with valuable information when assessing the risk of fatal VAs in HCM patients.

A rare cause of abnormal pulmonary venous drainage: septum primum malposition.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate the clinical features of patients with septum primum malposition, imaging tools used for diagnosis, and their effects on the surgical approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients diagnosed with septum primum malposition in our paediatric cardiac centre between 1 January, 2015 and 1 January, 2019 were included in the study. In all patients, the age, reason for admission, transthoracic echocardiography, cardiac multidetector CT angiography findings, and subsequent surgical data were evaluated. RESULTS: Fifteen patients were diagnosed with septum primum malposition during the study period. The median age was 12 months (2 months-10 years). Six patients were left isomeric, and the rest were situs solitus; 80% of the patients (n = 12) had additional secundum atrial septal defect. There was cardiac pathology in 46% of the patients (n = 7) in addition to the abnormal pulmonary venous drainage, ventricular septal defect (n = 3), left ventricularhypoplasia (n = 2), cortriatriatum sinister (n = 2), double outlet right ventricle (n = 1), and atrioventricular septal defect (n = 1). There was bilateral superior caval vein in three patients, right-sided superior caval vein in 11 patients, and left-sided superior caval vein in one patient. All three patients with total abnormal pulmonary venous drainage were left atrial isomeric. There were differences between the results of transthoracic echocardiography and CT angiographies in two patients. The surgical strategy was changed in three patients after the preoperative diagnosis of septum primum malposition. CONCLUSION: Septum primum malposition should be kept in mind during the imaging of complex CHDs specifically during the segmental analysis of the pathologies with heterotaxy syndromes; it should be differentiated from other aetiologies of abnormal pulmonary venous drainage as accurate diagnosis would facilitate the ideal surgery in these complex pathologies requiring a detailed preoperative preparation.

Assessment of children with vascular ring.

BACKGROUND: Vascular rings may cause pressure on the trachea and/or esophagus of varying degree, resulting in symptoms. This study assessed the presentation symptoms, diagnostic methods and treatment results after surgery in children with vascular ring. METHODS: Symptomatic vascular ring patients undergoing surgery between January 2010 and August 2014 at Mehmet Akif Ersoy Cardiovascular Research and Training Hospital, Istanbul, were retrospectively assessed. The presentation symptoms, demographic characteristics, and diagnostic tests were evaluated. Operative data and postoperative follow up, complications and problems were also examined in detail. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients underwent surgery, 13 (63%) of whom were male. Median age was 12 months (range, 1 month-8 years). Among these patients, 62% (n = 13) had double aortic arch, 24% (n = 5) had right-sided aortic arch + ligamentum arteriosum, 10% (n = 2) had left-sided aortic arch + aberrant right subclavian artery, and 4% (n = 1) had pulmonary sling abnormality. Computed tomography (CT) angiography was performed in 17/21 patients. All the patients were successfully operated on. In the early postoperative period, two patients had chylothorax and one had nerve paralysis of nervus laryngeus recurrens. One patient died in the early period, and two patients had ongoing stridor on follow up. CONCLUSIONS: CT angiography is effective for the differential diagnosis and visualization of vascular ring abnormality. In such cases, full recovery can be assured with early diagnosis and surgery.

Multidetector Computed Tomographic Angiography Imaging of Congenital Pulmonary Venous Anomalies: A Pictorial Review.

Congenital pulmonary venous anomalies are not uncommon that can occur either in isolation or in association with different forms of congenital heart disease. Clinical presentation of these anomalies may vary from the relatively benign single anomalous partial pulmonary venous return to life-threatening critical obstructed total anomalous pulmonary venous return. Accurate delineation of these anomalies and accompanied cardiovascular anomalies are crucial to guide decision making in these patients. Low-dose high-pitch dual-source 256-detector multidetector computed tomographic angiography is a fast and reliable imaging modality allowing comprehensive noninvasive anatomic imaging in neonates and children with congenital pulmonary venous anomalies with lower radiation doses and should be preferred for these patients after transthoracic echocardiography.

Robot-Assisted Repair of Right Partial Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Return.

Partial anomalous venous return from the right lung to the right atrium is a rare congenital heart anomaly in adults. We report a 20-year-old female, who presented with right partial anomalous pulmonary venous return and an associated inferior atrial septal defect. A complex repair was successfully done through a right atriotomy approach using a robotic surgical system. doi: 10.1111/jocs.12753 (J Card Surg 2016;31:394-397).

The normal anatomy and variations of the bronchial arteries: evaluation with multidetector computed tomography.

INTRODUCTION: In this study, we aimed to reveal the normal anatomy and variations of the bronchial arterial system and to determine the sex distribution of these variations by retrospectively reviewing the images of patients who underwent thoracal multidetector computed tomographic angiography for various reasons. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Multidetector computed tomographic images of a total of 208 patients (151 men; mean age, 59 years) were retrospectively reviewed to assess the normal anatomy and variations of the bronchial arterial system. RESULTS: A total of 531 bronchial arteries (median, 3; minimum, 1; maximum, 5; mean, 2.5) were detected. The number (mean diameter) of the right bronchial arteries were higher than the left bronchial arteries (290 [1.43 mm] and 241 [1.26 mm], respectively; P < .05 for both number and diameter). The mean number (diameter) of the bronchial arteries were higher with men than with women (2.58 [1.45 mm] and 2.47 [1.32 mm], respectively; P < .05 for both number and diameter). The most common (24%) branching pattern was the combination of 1 right intercostal-bronchial trunk and 1 left bronchial artery, and, secondarily (13.46%), the combination of 2 right (1 intercostal-bronchial trunk and 1 bronchial artery) and 1 left bronchial arteries. Seventy-eight ectopic bronchial arteries were detected in 59 cases (28.3%). They most commonly originated from the aortic arch (37.2%), the descending aorta below the level of T6 (35.9%), or the aortic branches (16.7%). The number of right ectopic bronchial arteries was significantly higher than the left ectopic bronchial arteries (50 [64%] vs 28 [36%]; P < .01). The incidence of ectopic bronchial arteries was statistically higher with men versus women (45 [29.8%] vs 14 [24.6%]; P < .05). CONCLUSION: The origins, numbers, diameters, and courses of the bronchial arteries can vary substantially among individuals. Multidetector computed tomographic angiography enables a detailed road map of the bronchial arterial system to interventional radiologists and thoracic surgeons.

Anatomical variations of aortic arch branching: evaluation with computed tomographic angiography.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency and gender distribution of variations in the aortic arch branching pattern using 64-slice computed tomograhic angiography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1000 patients with a normal left-sided aortic arch who underwent computed tomographic angiography for various reasons were analysed retrospectively for the frequency of variation of aortic arch branching; the variations were categorised into seven types. RESULTS: Of the 1000 patients, 79.2% had a normal aortic arch branching pattern - type 1 - and 20.8% had variations. The frequency of type 2 variation - brachiocephalic and left common carotid arteries arising from the aortic arch in a common trunk - was 14.1%, that of type 3 - left vertebral artery originating from the aortic arch - was 4.1%, that of type 4 - coexistence of type 2 and type 3 - was 1.2%, that of type 5 - aberrant right subclavian artery - was 0.6%, that of type 6 - coexistence of aberrant right subclavian artery and bicarotid trunk - was 0.7%, and that for type 7 - thyroidea ima artery arising from the aortic arch - was 0.1%. The incidences of the variations of aortic arch branching were similar among males and females (20% versus 22.1%). The incidence of an aberrant right subclavian artery - type 5 and type 6 - was higher among females compared with males (2.5% versus 0.5), whereas the frequencies of the other variations were either equal or similar in both genders. CONCLUSION: Recognition of variations of aortic arch branching is important because they may cause symptoms due to tracheoesophageal compression or complications during surgical or endovascular interventional procedures of the aorta and its branches.

Fluid collections associated with acute pancreatitis: a pictorial essay.

The terminology and classification scheme of acute pancreatitis proposed at the initial Atlanta Symposium was reviewed, and a new consensus statement was recently proposed. Major changes include subdividing acute fluid collections in the first 4 weeks into "acute peripancreatic fluid collection" and "acute necrotic collection" based on the presence of necrotic debris. Delayed fluid collections have been similarly subdivided into "pseudocyst" and "walled-off necrosis." Correct use of the new terms that describe these collections is important because they lead to different treatment decisions. The purpose of this article is to present an overview of fluid collections associated with acute pancreatitis, with an emphasis on their prognostic significance and impact on clinical management, and to illustrate the new terminology.

Multidetector computed tomography imaging of coronary artery anomalies.

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence of coronary artery anomalies and to demonstrate in which cases multidetector computed tomography has an additional clinical value compared with the conventional angiography. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 2375 multidetector computed tomography studies were retrospectively reviewed to determine the dominance of the coronary artery anomalies. The classification of coronary artery anomalies was made according to anatomical criteria--origin, course, intrinsic anatomy, and termination--and clinical relevance--benign versus malignant. RESULTS: The coronary artery system was right dominant in 83.99%, left dominant in 8.0%, and co-dominant in 9.01% of the cases. The incidence of the origin and/or course anomalies was 1.76%, that of fistulas was 0.42%, and that of myocardial bridges was 10.82%. Multidetector computed tomography was performed after conventional angiography in 23 cases and it provided additional information regarding its origin and proximal course, as well as its relationship with the aortic root and main pulmonary trunk in 100% of the cases; eight malignant cases were found. In addition, in all of (100%) the six cases with coronary artery fistulas, conventional angiography failed to detect their terminations, which were clearly depicted by multidetector computed tomography. CONCLUSION: Multidetector computed tomographic angiography is superior to conventional angiography in delineating the ostial origin and proximal course of anomalous coronary arteries. Furthermore, it reveals the exact relationship of anomalous coronary arteries with the aorta and the pulmonary artery. Anomalies of the intrinsic anatomy and the termination of coronary arteries are also better visualised with multidetector computed tomography.

Structural Changesofthe Right Fibrous Trigone as a Risk Factor for Conduction Disturbance After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation.

BACKGROUND: The right fibrous trigone, which the His bundle penetrates, is part of the subaortic area adjacent to the membranous septum. Structural alterations of the right fibrous trigone may cause conduction disturbance as a result of compression in this area after transcatheter aortic valve implantation. This study analyzed the hypothesis of whether imaging parameters of the RFT could predict the risk of conduction disturbance after transcatheter aortic valve implantation. METHODS: We retrospectively examined 209 patients who underwent transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantationat a tertiary cardiac center. The different valve models were divided into 2 groups: self-expanding valve and balloon-expandable valve. Using pre-procedure computed tomography, we evaluated for the alterations of the right fibrous trigone. RESULTS: New conduction disturbance was seen in 75 of 209 (35.8%) patients. Receiver operating characteristics plots displayed a right fibrous trigone density of -6 Hounsfieldunit for SEV and -16 Hounsfield unit for balloon-expandable valve as the optimal cut- off points for prediction conduction disturbance. In multiple regression analyses, the high density of RFT emerged as an independent predictor of conduction disturbance in both the self-expanding valve (odds ratio: 1.01, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.02, P = 0.035) and bal- loon-expandable valve (odds ratio: 1.01, 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.03, P = 0.017) groups. A shorter membranous septum length and a greater implantation depth were also found to be significantly associated with a higher incidence of conduction disturbance in both trans- catheter aortic valve implantation groups. CONCLUSION: High density of right fibrous trigone is independently associated with con- duction disturbance after transcatheter aortic valve implantation, and its pre-proce- dure computed tomography evaluation can help predict the new-onset of conduction disturbance.

Comparison of echocardiography and 320-row multidetector computed tomography for the diagnosis of congenital heart disease in children.

INTRODUCTION: Echocardiography (echo) is the primary non-invasive imaging modality for the assessment of congenital heart disease (CHD). Computed tomography angiography (CTA) also has potential to examine the anatomy of complex heart anomalies as well as extracardiac involvement. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to determine the impact of new CTA technology in the diagnosis of CHD and to compare echo and CTA in terms of diagnostic accuracy. METHODS: Forty-five patients who underwent preoperative echo and CTA assessment in the intensive care unit were included in this study. The results were assessed for three main types of CHD (cardiac malformations, cardiac-major vessel connections and major vessels). The main groups were also divided into subgroups according to surgical features in order to assess them more objectively. Imaging methods were compared for diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity and specificity, while surgical findings were accepted as the gold standard. RESULTS: Patients' median age and weight were two months (three days-eight years) and 12 kg (2.5-60 kg), respectively. In 45 operated cases, 205 subgroup malformations were assessed. Diagnostic accuracy was significantly greater in echo (echo vs. CTA: 98.4% and 96.2% [chi-square=6.4, p=0.011]). During surgery, 84 cardiac malformations (echo vs. CTA: 97.4% and 95.1% [chi-square=4.9, p=0.03]), 47 cardiac-major vessel connections (echo vs. CTA: 98.3% and 95.4% [chi-square=7.5, p=0.03]), and 74 major vessel malformations (echo vs. CTA: 96% and 98% [chi-square=1.8, p=0.48]) were confirmed. CONCLUSION: Echocardiography and CTA are imaging methods with high diagnostic accuracy in children with CHD. The use of echocardiography together with CTA, especially for the visualization of extracardiac anatomy, provides additional information for clinicians.

MDCT angiography of isolated right subclavian artery.

Isolation of a subclavian artery is an uncommon congenital anomaly of the aortic arch in which one subclavian artery loses its connection with the aorta and originates from the homolateral pulmonary artery by way of a ductus arteriosus. Isolation of the left subclavian artery in patients with a right aortic arch is well known. However, isolated right subclavian artery with a left-sided aortic arch is an extremely rare condition. In this report, we present multidetector computed tomographic (MDCT) angiography findings of an isolated right subclavian artery associated with a common carotid trunk and an anomalous origin and proximal interruption of the left pulmonary artery.

Multidetector CT angiography of renal vasculature: normal anatomy and variants.

Knowledge of the variations in renal vascular anatomy is important before laparoscopic donor or partial nephrectomy and vascular reconstruction for renal artery stenosis or abdominal aortic aneurysm. Recently, multidetector computed tomographic (MDCT) angiography has become a principal imaging investigation for assessment of the renal vasculature and has challenged the role of conventional angiography. It is an excellent imaging technique because it is a fast and non-invasive tool that provides highly accurate and detailed evaluation of normal renal vascular anatomy and variants. The number, size and course of the renal arteries and veins are easily identified by MDCT angiography. The purpose of this pictorial essay is to illustrate MDCT angiographic appearance of normal anatomy and common variants of the renal vasculature.

[A rare cause of aortic insufficiency: quadricuspid aortic valve]. / Aort yetersizliginin nadir bir nedeni: Dört yaprakçikli aort kapagi.

Quadricuspid aortic valve can be documented incidentally as a rare cause of aortic regurgitation. An asymptomatic 24-year-old male patient underwent cardiac evaluation after detection of a cardiac murmur on routine examination. There was a grade 1/6 early diastolic murmur on the right upper side of the sternum. The electrocardiogram was in sinus rhythm and normal. Transthoracic echocardiography showed normal left ventricular dimensions and functions, but it did not provide an adequate visualization of valve structure. Color Doppler examination showed mild aortic insufficiency. Transesophageal echocardiography revealed a qaudricuspid aortic valve composed of two equal large cusps and two equal small cusps. Color Doppler scans demonstrated aortic regurgitant flow at the coaptation sites of small and large cusps. Further studies by aortic computed tomographic (CT) angiography and cardiac CT did not show aortic coarctation or any other coronary abnormality, but the latter confirmed quadricuspid aortic valve.