title: An unusual case of a congenital aorto-left atrial tunnel.
abstract: Most usually, the aortic tunnels empty into the left ventricle. Very rarely, they open to the left atrium. The essence of the aortic tunnels is that they bypass the hinges of the valvar leaflets within the aortic root. We have recently encountered an aorto-left atrial tunnel satisfying this criterion.
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Surgery Division, Department of Experimental Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, Sant'Orsola Malpighi Hospital, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, 40123 Bologna, Italy. Electronic address: marco.dieusanio2@unibo.it.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Eusanio
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Division, Department of Experimental Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, Sant'Orsola Malpighi Hospital, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, 40123 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Biagini
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Surgery Division, Department of Experimental Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, Sant'Orsola Malpighi Hospital, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, 40123 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gargiulo
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Surgery Division, Department of Experimental Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, Sant'Orsola Malpighi Hospital, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, 40123 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Di Bartolomeo
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Division, Department of Experimental Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, Sant'Orsola Malpighi Hospital, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, 40123 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lorenzini
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Division, Department of Experimental Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, Sant'Orsola Malpighi Hospital, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, 40123 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Marinella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferlito
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Division, Department of Experimental Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, Sant'Orsola Malpighi Hospital, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, 40123 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Ferdinando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pasquale
authors.affiliation: Cardiac Surgery Division, Department of Experimental Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, Sant'Orsola Malpighi Hospital, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, 40123 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Sebastiano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Castrovinci
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Division, Department of Experimental Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, Sant'Orsola Malpighi Hospital, Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna, 40123 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rapezzi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Tyne and Wear NE1 3BZ, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery
keywords: Aorto-left atrial tunnel; Congenital