Prenatal Diagnosis of Aortopulmonary Window: A Case Series and Literature Review

• Main Authors: Fuanglada Tongprasert, Rekwan Sittiwangkul, Phudit Jatavan, Theera Tongsong
• Format: Journal
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Health Professions; Medicine
• Online Access: https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=85043713000&origin=inward; http://cmuir.cmu.ac.th/jspui/handle/6653943832/57413
• Institution: Chiang Mai University

© 2017 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine. Aortopulmonary window (APW) is a rare congenital heart defect, characterized by a connection between the ascending aorta and the pulmonary trunk before bifurcation. Prenatal diagnosis of APW is essential, as a surgical correction early after birth is required in most cases to prevent congestive heart failure secondary to high pulmonary blood flow. We report a series of three cases of APW that were detected by prenatal echocardiography. The key feature of diagnosis is demonstration of connection between the pulmonary artery and the aorta above the level of the two semilunar valves. Based on our cases and literature review, diagnostic clues for prenatal diagnosis of APW are summarized and proposed.