title: Histologic findings in a dilated atrium serving as a Fontan pathway for 23 years.
abstract: We microscopically examined atrial tissues surgically obtained from a 35-year-old woman who had been palliated with the atriopulmonary connection in a Fontan operation 23 years earlier. Apart from mild hypertrophy of myocytes and trivial interstitial fibrosis, no gross abnormalities were identified. Although this finding is somehow surprising, considering the duration of atrial pressure-loading, it seems to be in accordance with the result of her Holter recordings, which demonstrates the absence of any rhythm disturbances other than sporadic premature contractions. Because of the shortage of histologic investigations in this group of patients, we present this case with a review of the literature.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Iki
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Adachi
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ichikawa
authors.forename: Takayoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuratani
authors.forename: Goro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Matsumiya
authors.forename: Yoshiki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D018729:Fontan Procedure; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D013997:Time Factors