Unusual consequence of a fetal atrial septal aneurysm.

We describe the case of a significant fetal atrial septal aneurysm causing left ventricular inflow obstruction. Serial fetal echocardiograms demonstrated potential left heart hypoplasia. The fetal cardiologist guided the perinatal team to electively deliver the infant early and modify the course of developing hypoplastic left heart.

Transverse aortic arch to descending aorta ratio: a new echocardiographic parameter for management of coarctation of the aorta in the infant.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to establish an objective criterion to help assess adequacy of the transverse arch in newborns with coarctation and thereby optimize preoperative surgical decision making.

Methods: Echocardiograms of 47 patients < 6 months of age who underwent coarctation repair from September 2005 to November 2008 and 47 age-matched healthy infants were reviewed. The proximal and distal transverse aortic arch to descending aorta ratios (TAA:DAO ratio) were calculated from the end-systolic proximal and distal transverse aortic arch diameters and diameter of the descending aorta at the diaphragm.

Transcatheter occlusion of large pulmonary arteriovenous fistula.

We describe the compound transcatheter occlusion of a large and symptomatic pulmonary arteriovenous malformation in a 58-yr-old man. Pre- and postintervention clinical and laboratory data support the impression of an excellent outcome.

Significant pulmonary valve incompetence following oversize balloon pulmonary valveplasty in small infants: A long-term follow-up study.

Oversized dilatation balloons are recommended for relief of valvar pulmonic stenosis in infants and children during cardiac catheterization. Little information exists about the long-term outcome of this practice. Six of 107 consecutive patients undergoing balloon pulmonary valveplasty developed increasing pulmonary valve incompetence during follow-up periods of 0.