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Fistula between the right pulmonary artery and the left atrium—an unusual cause of cyanotic heart disease

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 August 2008

Kjell Saatvedt ,
Gunnar Stake  and
Harald Lindberg
Kjell Saatvedt*
Affiliation:
Rikshospitalet, The National Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo
Gunnar Stake
Affiliation:
From the Surgical Department A, Cardiothoracic Unit, Department of Pediatric Radiology, Oslo
Harald Lindberg
Affiliation:
Rikshospitalet, The National Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo
*
Dr. Kjell Saatvedt, Surgical Department A, Cardiothoracic Unit, Rikshospitalet, 0027 Oslo, Norway. Tel. 228670 10; Fax. 228672 63.
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Abstract

A fistula from the pulmonary artery to the left atrium is a very rare congenital anomaly. The communication, almost exclusively arising from the right pulmonary artery, may give rise to a variety of symptoms with cyanosis as the predominant sign. To our knowledge only seven neonates have been reported with this anomaly, and five of them died postoperatively. We present another two neonates with such a fistula which was closed by simple ligation using a transsternal approach and cardiopulmonary bypass. Both patients had an uneventful postoperative course and are alive and well at the age of two and three years, respectively.

Keywords

Congenital heart diseasearteriovenous fistulacardiopulmonary bypass

Information

Type
Brief Reports
Information
Cardiology in the Young , Volume 5 , Issue 1 , January 1995 , pp. 85 - 87
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1995

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