Congenital absence of pulmonary valve leaflets is an uncommon condition usually associated with ventricular septal defect and an obstructive pulmonary valve ring. Twenty-one patients with these malformations are described. Twenty had an associated ventricular septal defect with ventriculoarterial concordance, and one also had transposition of the great arteries, ventricular septal defect, and obstructive pulmonary valve ring. The clinical features, cardiac catheterisation findings, and angiocardiographic results are presented. Twelve patients underwent cardiac surgery. Three patients died, one in the early, and the other two in the late postoperative period. The results, according to the surgical technique employed and postoperative cardiac catheterisation findings, showed that patients in whom the bioprostheses were implanted in the pulmonary position had a better late follow-up.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Transesophageal echocardiographic diagnosis of an aneurysm and thrombosis of the left anterior descending coronary artery.

An aneurysm of the left anterior descending coronary artery with thrombosis in its lumen in a 36-year-old woman who had an acute myocardial infarction is described. Although the aneurysm was detected by angiography, a transesophageal study provided new specific details of the exact site of origin of the aneurysm, as well as vascular thrombosis.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Transesophageal echocardiography and right atrial infarction.

Transesophageal echocardiographic findings in right atrial infarction are described. In three patients with myocardial infarction of one or both ventricles, the association of right atrial myocardial infarction was suspected because of anatomic (two-dimensional) and hemodynamic (Doppler) alterations obtained from transesophageal images. Transesophageal interrogation may prove widely applicable in the evaluation of patients with suspected right atrial infarction.

Aged↗