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Echocardiography of the aortopulmonary window, aorto-ventricular tunnels, and aneurysm of the sinuses of Valsalva

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 2010

William T. Mahle ,
Joseph Kreeger  and
Norman H. Silverman
William T. Mahle*
Affiliation:
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
Joseph Kreeger
Affiliation:
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
Norman H. Silverman
Affiliation:
Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, United States of America
*
Correspondence to: W. T. Mahle, MD, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, 1405 Clifton Road, NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30322-1062, USA. Tel: 404-315-2672; Fax: 404-325-6021; E-mail: mahlew@kidsheart.com
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Abstract

There is a collection of rare congenital cardiac defects that can produce significant haemodynamic embarrassment. Owing to their rarity, these lesions may be overlooked or mistaken for other more common congenital cardiac defects. Using careful segmental echocardiographic techniques, such as multiple planes of imaging and inferential Doppler findings, it is possible to identify these lesions and thus plan surgical management. Some of the lesions of importance reviewed include the aortopulmonary window, the aorto-ventricular tunnels, the aorto-atrial tunnels, and aneurysm of the sinuses of Valsalva. Some conditions such as the aortopulmonary window and aneurysm of the sinuses of Valsalva often occur in the setting of other congenital cardiac lesions. At times, the presence of coexisting lesions may mask some of the characteristic features of these defects. With prompt identification, all of these rare conditions are amenable to complete surgical repair. Newer modalities such as three-dimensional echocardiography can further enhance surgical planning.

Keywords

Aortopulmonary windowsinus of Valsalva aneurysmaorto-ventricular tunnelstransthoracic echocardiography
Type
Original Article
Information
Cardiology in the Young , Volume 20 , Issue S3: Rare and Challenging Congenital Cardiac Lesions: an Interdisciplinary Approach , December 2010 , pp. 100 - 106
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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