title: Aortopulmonary window--impact of associated lesions on surgical results.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aortopulmonary window (APW) is a communication between the pulmonary artery (PA) and the ascending aorta in the presence of two separate semilunar valves. This review describes the natural history of the APW and the impact of associated defects on surgical results in patients treated at our institution.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective longitudinal study, based on the review of medical files of patients diagnosed between 1995 and 2005.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of nine patients diagnosed as having APW, six had associated lesions. Seven patients were submitted to surgical treatment with two deaths. One patient was not submitted to surgery due to pulmonary hypertension and another one died before the surgery due to a respiratory infection complication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The surgical results are satisfactory when the APW presents as an isolated defect and when surgery is performed early, preventing the development of irreversible arterial pulmonary hypertension (APH). The presence of associated complex congenital heart disease is a bad prognostic factor in our series.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia Laranjeiras, MS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil. cinthiasg@ig.com.br
authors.forename: Cinthia Siqueira
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Gangana
authors.forename: Ana Flávia de Araújo
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Malheiros
authors.forename: Elizabete Vilar
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.forename: Maurício Amir
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: de Azevedo
authors.forename: Renata Moll
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Bernardes
authors.forename: Luiz Carlos
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Simões
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001028:Aortopulmonary Septal Defect / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome