title: A Tubular Aortopulmonary Window: An Embryological Curiosity.
abstract: We describe, in this report, an unusually shaped aortopulmonary communication observed in a six-month-old infant who presented with an associated ventricular septal defect. The defect was tubular, measuring 7 mm in length, and located intrapericardially between the proximal ascending aorta and the pulmonary trunk. It was well defined by transthoracic echocardiogram and was suitable for surgical ligation. We share our dilemma in naming this defect appropriately. We base our explanation on our understanding of normal development of the intrapericardial arterial trunks. There is initially an extensive aortopulmonary foramen. This is closed by apposition of a protrusion from the dorsal wall of the aortic sac, the aortopulmonary septum, with the distal margins of the outflow cushions. The spiral nature of formation of the aortopulmonary septum provides an understanding of the configuration of our tubular aortopulmonary window.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Frontier Lifeline Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India shanthic2009@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Shanthi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chidambarathanu
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Frontier Lifeline Hospital, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Agarwal
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical & Biomedical Education, St George's University of London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Zahra M
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Hussain
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical & Biomedical Education, St George's University of London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Nigel A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical & Biomedical Education, St George's University of London, London, United Kingdom Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D001011:Aorta / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D001028:Aortopulmonary Septal Defect / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D004452:Echocardiography; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery
keywords: aortopulmonary septation; aortopulmonary window; fifth arch artery; patent arterial duct