title: Two-dimensional echocardiographic recognition and surgical management of aortopulmonary septal defect in the premature infant.
abstract: An aorticopulmonary septal defect (APSD) results from failure of proper conotruncal separation. The hemodynamic consequences of this lesion closely resemble that of other large left-to-right shunt defects, especially a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Failure to differentiate these 2 abnormalities has not infrequently led to an inappropriate surgical approach in pursuit of the far more common PDA. This report describes the two-dimensional echocardiographic (2-DE) recognition of an APSD in 2 premature infants. Survival of these delicate neonates indicates that successful surgery can be performed even in small infants. A thorough 2-DE examination for an APSD is recommended for any infant before proceeding to surgery for a suspected PDA, especially when cardiac catheterization has not been performed.
mesh_terms: D001011:Aorta / Q000002:abnormalities*; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004374:Ductus Arteriosus, Patent / Q000175:diagnosis; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis; D006343:Heart Septal Defects / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000002:abnormalities*