Fetal aortic valvuloplasty as the first step in a complex therapeutic strategy.

Background: Fetal aortic valvuloplasty (FAV) is proposed to prevent hypoplastic left heart syndrome due to fetal critical aortic stenosis.

Objective: to report our experience on FAV as the first step in a complex therapeutic strategy.

Method: Series of patients with FAV over an 18-year period.

Fetal and neonatal mortality in patients with isolated congenital heart diseases and heart conditions associated with extracardiac abnormalities.

Congenital malformations are a known cause of intrauterine death; of them, congenital heart diseases (CHDs) are accountable for the highest fetal and neonatal mortality rates. They are strongly associated with other extracardiac malformations and an early fetal mortality. Two hundred and twenty fves cases of CHDs are presented.

[Superior mesenteric artery syndrome (Wilkie syndrome): case report].

Superior mesenteric artery syndrome is an uncommon cause of upper gastrointestinal tract obstruction. The syndrome results from compression of the third portion of duodenum as it crosses underneath the superior mesenteric artery, related to conditions that reduce the aortomesenteric angle (acute weight loss) or after scoliosis surgery. Patients may present symptoms of gastrointestinal obstruction, such as upper abdominal distension and epigastric tenderness, usually relieved by posture changing.