title: Isolated origin of the left subclavian artery from the left pulmonary artery.
abstract: We describe two children with isolated origin of the left subclavian artery from the left pulmonary artery detected by echocardiography during the assessment of their congenital cardiac malformations. Both patients demonstrated pre-operative evidence of subclavian steal. This entity results from persistence of the dorsal segment of the sixth left arch, with regression of the left fourth arch and interruption of the left dorsal arch distal to the origin of the seventh left intersegmental artery. The significance of this finding relates to the potential for pulmonary overcirculation, which could have significant post-operative ramifications if not detected prior to surgical repair of an associated cardiac malformation. This entity differs from cases with a right aortic arch and aberrant left subclavian artery which has the potential to form a vascular ring, unlike cases with isolated origin of the left subclavian artery from the pulmonary artery that do not cause compression of the airway.
authors.affiliation: Hospital for Sick Children Division of Paediatric Cardiology, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Smallhorn
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Black
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Hornberger
mesh_terms: D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013348:Subclavian Artery / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D013349:Subclavian Steal Syndrome / Q000151:congenital* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D013771:Tetralogy of Fallot / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery