Visualizing the invisible: aortopulmonary window diagnosis enhanced by 3D computer graphics.

An aortopulmonary window is a rare disorder that occurs in 0.1-0.2% of all congenital disorders. Our patient was a 1-month-old boy weighing 4180 g. The patient had heart failure associated with an aortopulmonary window. We used 3-dimensional computer graphic software (Viewtify, SCIENMENT) for diagnosis based on DICOM data from contrast-enhanced computed tomography. This made it easy to identify anatomical landmarks and findings and select the most suitable approach. We avoided stenosis of the right pulmonary artery and aorta. We encountered a case of an aortopulmonary window in which 3-dimensional computer graphic software was helpful in selecting the surgical technique. We report this case using 3-dimensional computer graphic images and present a review of the literature.

A rare disease detected in a school-age child aortopulmonary window with anomalous right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery.

Aortopulmonary window is a condition characterized by a communication between the pulmonary artery and the ascending aorta. The coexistence of aortopulmonary window and an anomalous right coronary artery originating from the pulmonary artery is rarely observed together, as mentioned in previous studies. In this report, we aim to describe our diagnostic and treatment experiences with a 6-year-old patient diagnosed with aortopulmonary window associated with an abnormal origin of the right coronary artery from the pulmonary artery.

A rare coexistence: Hammock mitral valve and aortopulmonary window.

Congenital mitral stenosis is a broad-spectrum pathology in which blood flow to the left ventricle is obstructed both functionally and anatomically. Hammock mitral valve, also known as anomalous mitral arcade, is a rare congenital anomaly particularly in infants and children. Hammock mitral valve may not be suitable for repair regarding the advanced dysplastic mitral valve structure. Aortopulmonary window is an unusual cardiac anomaly which is defined as a communication between the main pulmonary artery and the ascending aorta. As a result of the excessive left-to-right shunt, early intervention and surgical closure deemed mandatory to avoid development of severe pulmonary hypertension and its consequences. All patients with an aortopulmonary window necessitates prompt repair immediately. In this brief report, mitral valve replacement with a mechanical valve and repair of aortopulmonary window with a Dacron patch were performed simultaneously in a 5-month-old patient with a hammock mitral valve and accompanying aortopulmonary window.

Traumatic Aortopulmonary Fistula: An Acquired Type 1 Aortopulmonary Window.

We report a patient with an acquired traumatic aortopulmonary window. The patient presented with an aortopulmonary fistula between the proximal ascending aorta and pulmonary trunk, which was missed on the initial hospital admission. The 26-year-old patient presented with high-output cardiac failure and examination features of a diastolic runoff. Patch closure of the defect using a sandwich technique was undertaken, with resolution of symptoms.

Remarkably Still Repairable Large Aortopulmonary Window in an Adult Patient.

Aortopulmonary window (APW) is an abnormal congenital connection between the main pulmonary artery (MPA) and the ascending aorta, with intact aortic and pulmonary valves, leading to heart failure or, if not repaired early, to pulmonary vascular obstructive disease. We report the rare case of an asymptomatic adult with an unrestrictive APW, whose pulmonary arterial hypertension was remarkably still reversible, permitting successful repair.

Large Unrepaired Aortopulmonary Window Presenting in Adulthood.

BACKGROUND: Aortopulmonary window is an uncommon congenital heart disease, with untreated cases not surviving beyond childhood. However, very rarely it can present in adult patients with features of pulmonary hypertension. Clinically these patients cannot be differentiated from other more common conditions with left to right shunt. Transthoracic echocardiography if performed meticulously, can depict the defect in aortopulmonary septum. RESULTS: We report a case of large unrepaired aortopulmonary window in a 23 years old patient, diagnosed on transthoracic echocardiography.

Aortopulmonary Window With Pulmonary Atresia and Interrupted Aortic Arch: A Very Rare Triad.

Aortopulmonary window (APW) is a rare lesion, accounting for 0.2% to 0.6% of all congenital heart diseases. We report a rare case of an infant with APW, interrupted aortic arch, and pulmonary atresia with intact interventricular septum and right ventricle-dependent coronary circulation. This report describes the anatomy of this lesion set, the complex surgical palliation that was required, and the management of postoperative complications.

Type A interrupted aortic arch and type III aortopulmonary window with anomalous origin of the right pulmonary artery from the aorta.

Interruption of the aortic arch, aortopulmonary window, and anomalous origin of the right pulmonary artery from the ascending aorta are very rare congenital anomalies. It is even rarer to have all three anomalies in the same setting. We present a case of a newborn who was diagnosed with these lesions and describe the primary repair of these anomalies.

Aortopulmonary window: results of repair beyond infancy.

OBJECTIVES: To study the anatomic and haemodynamic data and results of surgery in patients undergoing surgical repair of aortopulmonary window beyond infancy. METHODS: Between July 2005 and December 2015, 23 patients, older than 1 year undergoing surgery for aortopulmonary window were analysed retrospectively. Postoperative clinical and echocardiography follow-up were performed. RESULTS: Median age and weight at repair was 4 years (range 14 months-12 years) and 12 kg (range 3.5-22 kg), respectively. Fifteen patients had Richardson's Type I, 6 patients had Type II and 2 patients had Type III aortopulmonary window. Six patients had associated defects. Baseline mean systolic pulmonary artery pressure was 101 ± 14.9 mmHg (range 80-130, median 100 mmHg) and pulmonary vascular resistance index was 9.6 ± 5.9 (median 7.7 Wood units/m2, range 3.7-23.5 Wood units/m2). Patch repair of aortopulmonary window was performed using the sandwich method (transwindow) (n = 15), transaortic (n = 3) and transpulmonary artery (n = 2) approaches; 2 patients underwent double ligation and 1 underwent division and suturing. Two patients underwent valved patch closure of aortopulmonary window and 1 patient underwent valved patch closure of associated ventricular septal defect. There were 2 in-hospital deaths: one due to intractable pulmonary hypertension and the other due to low cardiac output. Mean follow-up was 36 months (range 2-119 months). Eighteen patients were in NYHA Class I at last follow-up. There were no late deaths or reoperation. CONCLUSIONS: Surgery can be safely undertaken beyond infancy in carefully selected patients of aortopulmonary window with acceptable early and mid-term outcomes.

Surgical management of aortopulmonary window: 24 years of experience and lessons learned.

OBJECTIVES: Aortopulmonary window represents 0.2-0.3% of all congenital heart lesions. Progressive pulmonary arterial hypertension and its consequences are more common with this anomaly. The purpose of this study was to share 24 years of surgical experience in managing a spectrum of 55 cases of aortopulmonary window, followed up to 17 years in a single institution. METHODS: This retrospective study was done from November 1991 to November 2015 of 55 patients with aortopulmonary window who underwent successful surgical repair. Age ranged from 5 months to 31 years with 45 children (12 years and younger) and 10 adults (older than 12 years). The male:female ratio was 2.2:1. The mean weight at operation was 14.63 kg (range 3.5-50 kg). An initial diagnosis was obtained from 2D echocardiography, which showed echo dropout in the parasternal short-axis view. Cardiac catheterization and angiography were performed in 54 out of 55 patients. Cardiac catheterization was not done in 1 patient who was 4 months of age. The mean right ventricular systolic pressure (RVSP) was 94 ± 2 mmHg, and the pulmonary artery mean pressure was 68 ± 2 mmHg. The average left to right shunt was 5.2:1, and the pulmonary vascular resistance index in room air was 7.97 ± 0.5 Wood units, whereas after oxygen administration, it declined to 2.0 ± 0.5 Wood units. Four surgical techniques were used based on the size of the communication and the anatomical conditions. RESULTS: There were no early or late deaths. There were no pulmonary hypertensive crises. All patients underwent echocardiography before discharge; none showed a residual shunt. Mild left ventricular dysfunction was seen in 2 patients. This dysfunction regressed with afterload reduction and diuretics on follow-up. All patients were followed up at intervals of 3 months, 1, 5 and 10 years, with the longest follow-up being 17 years. The mean follow-up period was 7 years. At follow-up, all patients were New York Heart Association class I. The mean RVSP on echocardiography was 32 mmHg at 3 months and 30 mmHg at 7 years with no change on further follow-up. Residual pulmonary hypertension was seen in 3 patients: 2 had mild pulmonary hypertension at 8-years follow-up and 1 had moderate hypertension at 3-months follow-up who required sildenafil postoperatively. CONCLUSIONS: Aortopulmonary window is a rare but well identified and surgically correctable anomaly. Operative repair should be offered as soon as the diagnosis is established, regardless of the patient's age. Irreversible pulmonary hypertension with a right to left shunt despite oxygen administration is the only contraindication for surgery. Various surgical techniques can be applied depending on the size of the communication. Associated arch anomalies may require technically challenging approaches and surgical strategies. Early and long-term outcomes after surgical correction are excellent regardless of age or pulmonary vascular resistance.

Aortopulmonary window: Morphology, diagnosis, and long-term results.

OBJECTIVE: Aortopulmonary window (APW) is a rare congenital heart defect. We reviewed our experience with this condition over the last two decades. METHODS: Between September 1993 and December 2013, 62 patients underwent surgery for APW. Depending on the associated lesions, they were divided into two groups: Simple (Group 1) or complex (Group 2). In the complex group, six patients had a ventricular septal defect, five patients had interrupted aortic arch, three patients had tetralogy of Fallot, two patients had double outlet right ventricle, and one patient had the right pulmonary artery arising from the ascending aorta. RESULTS: Mean age at repair was 21.6 ± 32.02 months (median = 6, range 0.1-144 months). By preoperative echocardiographic assessment 27 out of 62 patients had severe pulmonary artery hypertension (52% of the cohort). Patch repair of APW was performed using the sandwich method (transwindow) (n = 27; 43.5%), transaortic (n = 18; 29%), and transpulmonary artery (n = 5; 8.1%) approaches; 10 patients (16.1%) underwent double ligation and two (3.2%) underwent division and suturing. Overall hospital mortality in group 1 was 6.97% (3/43) and in group 2 it was 21% (4/19), p = 0.085. Mean hospital stay in group 1 was 6.9 ± 2.4 days (median = 7 days) and in group 2 was 12 ± 6.1 days (median = 13 days), p = 0.0001. Follow-up in group 1 was 1.6-9.8 years (median = 6 years); in group 2, it was 1.8-8.9 years (median = 6.5 years). There were no late deaths. Two patients needed reintervention for distortion of the right pulmonary artery origin. All patients were in New York Heart Association Class I/II at last follow up. CONCLUSION: There are multiple acceptable surgical strategies for the treatment of aortopulmonary window. Despite a relatively advanced age and substantial number of patients with severe pulmonary hypertension the outcomes can still be good. Associated anomalies complicate the repair. Patients in the complex group had a protracted hospital course and a higher early mortality but similar late survival.

Tricuspid atresia associated with aortopulmonary window: diagnostic and therapeutic dilemmas.

The association of tricuspid atresia with aortopulmonary window is exceptionally rare. We report a patient with tricuspid atresia, normally related great arteries, non-restrictive ventricular septal defect, and no pulmonary stenosis (type IC) with an aortopulmonary window who underwent successful initial surgical palliation. The unique anatomical feature of this case, other than the presence of the aortopulmonary window, was the absence of pulmonary stenosis at the level of either the ventricular septal defect or the pulmonary valve. All other reported cases have described some degree of restriction of anterograde pulmonary flow due to pulmonary stenosis or atresia.

Aberrant origin of left subclavian artery from the pulmonary artery and right aortic arch in an aortopulmonary window.

Aortopulmonary window (APW) is a rare congenital anomaly that occurs in 0.2-0.6% of congenital heart diseases. APW often coexists with other cardiac malformations. However, APW together with aberrant origin of the left subclavian artery (LSA) from the main pulmonary artery is rarely seen. Here, we report an infant with right aortic arch in APW, who was found to have aberrant origin of the LSA from the main pulmonary artery. We confirmed its origin in the anatomical settings and modified a repair technique according to his individual situation, which brought successful results to the patient.

Two Cases of Transcatheter Closure of Central Aortopulmonary Shunts: One with an Amplatzer Duct Occluder II and One with an Amplatzer Vascular Plug I.

When total correction is not possible in infants who have a cyanotic congenital heart disease, creation of a palliative aortopulmonary shunt is essential. A central aortopulmonary shunt is preferable, because of its technical and hemodynamic advantages. Overcirculation, thrombosis, and stenosis of the shunt are the main postoperative sequelae that necessitate urgent reintervention. Percutaneous transcatheter closure of aortopulmonary shunts can eliminate the need for reoperation and substantially decrease postoperative morbidity and mortality rates. We report our successful transcatheter closures of central aortopulmonary shunts in a 3-month-old infant and a 15-year-old girl, with use of an Amplatzer Duct Occluder II and an Amplatzer Vascular Plug I, respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the transcatheter closure of central aortopulmonary shunts with these 2 devices.

Current Outcomes of Surgical Management of Aortopulmonary Window and Associated Cardiac Lesions.

BACKGROUND: Aortopulmonary window (APW) is a rare congenital defect that is often associated with other cardiac lesions. We analyzed our operative strategy to determine whether this had any relationship with outcomes. METHODS: Early and late outcomes of 40 children who underwent APW repair at our institution during a 20-year period (1994 to 2013) were analyzed. RESULTS: Median age at time of the operation was 22 days (interquartile range, 9 to 63 days), and median weight was 3.2 kg (interquartile range, 2.5 to 3.8 kg). Eleven patients (28%) were born prematurely at or before 36 weeks' gestation, and 10 (25%) had genetic/extracardiac malformations. Mean APW size was 0.84 ± 0.28 cm, and by the Mori classification was type I in 17 patients (43%), type II in 18 (45%), and type III in 5 (13%). Twenty-five patients (63%) had simple APW, with no associated cardiac lesions other than atrial septal defect or patent ductus arteriosus, whereas 15 (38%) had complex APW with one or more associated lesions, including interrupted aortic arch (n = 6), ventricular septal defect (n = 6), or other (n = 5). There were no hospital or late deaths. Four patients required cardiac reoperations, 3 of whom had interrupted aortic arch. The 10-year freedom from cardiac reoperation was 100% for simple APW vs 73% for complex APW (p = 0.008), with 75% of reoperations related to aortic obstruction. Age, weight, prematurity, extracardiac anomalies, APW size and type, and APW repair technique were not associated with reoperation risk. CONCLUSIONS: Current outcomes of early repair of APW are excellent, including infants with complex associated cardiac lesions. Compared with historic results, contemporary outcomes are favorable, supporting early and complete repair of APW and associated lesions. Cardiac reoperation can be required in complex APW, mainly with concomitant arch repair, and is usually related to aortic obstruction.

Rare Case of Aortopulmonary Window With Anomalous Origin of Right Coronary Artery.

A 5-month-old infant presented with a rare, congenital heart disease: aortopulmonary window with an anomalous origin of the right coronary artery from the aortopulmonary window. Using echocardiography and computed tomography, the exact diagnosis could only be ascertained retrospectively; however, cardiac catheterization and angiography confirmed the diagnosis, which led to elective open-heart surgery. The infant made a full recovery.

Holt-Oram syndrome with aortopulmonary window--a rare association.

A 4-month-old male infant presented with recurrent cough for 2 months. He had a shortened right upper limb with absent right thumb and continuous murmur in the left parasternal area. The X-ray showed an absent radius and the first metacarpal and phalyngeal bones on the right side. Echocardiogram revealed aortopulmonary window and small secundum atrial septal defect. Aortopulmonary window was successfully treated by device closure. Holt-Oram syndrome with aortopulmonary window is an extremely rare association.