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Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Jan;98(2):e13922

Department of Cardiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu.

Rationale: Complex pulmonary arteriovenous fistula (PAVF) is unusual, and even rarer in 2 members of a family. PAVF may not appear on chest X-ray or computed tomography imaging, especially in asymptomatic patients, and therapy is limited. Herein, PAVFs occurring in a mother and daughter are described, with the current standard methods of diagnosis and treatment of PAVF. Read More

J Vet Intern Med 2018 Dec 17. Epub 2018 Dec 17.

Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.

Background: German Shepherd dogs (GSD) are predisposed to developing patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and are reportedly prone to type III (tubular) PDA anatomy. Dogs with type III anatomy are not considered favorable candidates for device-based intervention.

Objective: To describe the PDA anatomy, baseline characteristics, and procedural outcome of GSD with PDA. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2018 Dec;97(49):e13558

Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular surgery, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea.

Rationale: Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) ligation by open surgery is more difficult and dangerous in elderly patients than in infants. Nowadays, simple and safe interventional catheterization technology is used for the closure of uncomplicated isolated PDAs. Therefore, an alternative less invasive therapeutic option must be developed to treat complicated PDA. Read More

Zhonghua Xin Xue Guan Bing Za Zhi 2018 Oct;46(10):804-809

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Dalian Children's Hospital, Dalian 116012, China.

To investigate the safety and efficacy of percutaneous intervention of children with combined congenital heart abnormality solely guided by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) . From September 2015 to June 2017, 21 children with combined congenital heart abnormality undergoing percutaneous interventional guided by TTE in Fuwai hospital were enrolled in our study, and the clinical data were retrospective analyzed. The atrial septal defect(ASD) closure, ventricular septal defect(VSD) closure, patent ductus arteriosus(PDA) closure or balloon pulmonary valvuloplasty were performed under the guidance of TTE. Read More

Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol 2018 Oct;57(5):734-738

Department of Medical Research, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Bioengineering, Tatung University, Taipei, Taiwan.

Objective: We present prenatal diagnosis of a familial 5p14.3-p14.1 deletion in a fetus with congenital heart disease on prenatal ultrasound. Read More

Echocardiography 2018 11 17;35(11):1818-1826. Epub 2018 Sep 17.

Department of Cardiology, John Hunter Hospital, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.

Background: Left atrium (LA) function can be assessed by volumetric measurements, conventional and tissue Doppler, and more recently, deformation imaging using two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (2DSTE). 2DSTE allows for measurement of volume and deformation and can quantify the contribution of the reservoir, conduit, and contraction phase. A common cause for LA dysfunction in very preterm infants is volume overload with a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Read More

J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr 2018 Sep 11. Epub 2018 Sep 11.

Department of Nuclear Cardiology, National Institute of Cardiology Ignacio Chavez, Juan Badiano N° 1, Colonia Seccion XVI, Tlalpan, P.C. 14080, Mexico City, Mexico; Department of Echocardiography, ABC Medical Center I.A.P., Sur 136 No. 116, Colonia Las Americas, Alvaro Obregon, P.C. 01120, Mexico City, Mexico. Electronic address:

Anomalous origin of the pulmonary artery branches is a rare phenomenon. We describe a case of an adult with anomalous origin of the right pulmonary artery (hemitruncus arteriosus) associated with patent ductus arteriosus. Non-invasive imaging studies played an important role in the diagnosis and follow-up. Read More

J Card Surg 2018 10 11;33(10):691-692. Epub 2018 Sep 11.

Cardiothoracic Centre, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.

Tomography 2018 Jun;4(2):43-45

Department of Physical Therapy, Adventist University of Health Sciences, Orlando, FL.

Prenatal ultrasonography in the early third trimester showed an unusual branching pattern of the right aortic arch. Echocardiography performed 4 h after birth showed the right aortic arch with mirror-image branching, patent ductus arteriosus, and patent foramen ovale. Because the location of the ductus arteriosus was unclear on echocardiography, cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging was performed 3 days after birth. Read More

J Coll Physicians Surg Pak 2018 Sep;28(9):S157-S159

Department of Internal Medicine, SMBBMC Lyari General Hospital, Karachi.

Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) usually presents during childhood, less frequently in adolescence, and rarely in late adulthood. The usual mode of presentation is left ventricular failure and respiratory symptoms. Here is a case of a female with patent ductus arteriosus, who was apparently in quite good state of health and gave birth to six offsprings without herself having any problem. Read More

Echocardiography 2018 10 13;35(10):1695-1697. Epub 2018 Aug 13.

Division of Cardiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington.

Absent pulmonary valve syndrome is a congenital heart defect usually associated with tetralogy of Fallot. Rarely, absent pulmonary valve syndrome can occur independently of tetralogy of Fallot and presents with an intact ventricular septum and a patent ductus arteriosus. This case report describes the prenatal diagnosis of absent pulmonary valve syndrome with intact ventricular septum via echocardiogram and the postnatal management of the resulting physiologic effects secondary to this rare congenital heart disease. Read More

JACC Basic Transl Sci 2018 Apr 30;3(2):294-312. Epub 2018 May 30.

Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.

Survival in congenital heart disease has steadily improved since 1938, when Dr. Robert Gross successfully ligated for the first time a patent ductus arteriosus in a 7-year-old child. To continue the gains made over the past 80 years, transformative changes with broad impact are needed in management of congenital heart disease. Read More

J Clin Lab Anal 2018 Nov 6;32(9):e22616. Epub 2018 Jul 6.

Division of Neonatology, Zekai Tahir Burak Women's Health Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.

Background: The role of red cell distribution width-to-platelet ratio (RPR) has not previously been mentioned in reports on patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). Our objective was to evaluate whether RPR would have a role in the diagnosis and/or prediction of pharmacological closure of PDA.

Methods: Preterm infants' gestational age ≤30 weeks and ≤1500 g who were given first ibuprofen treatment in the first week of life for hemodynamically significant PDA (hsPDA) were included in the study. Read More

Cardiol Young 2018 Aug 29;28(8):1074-1076. Epub 2018 Jun 29.

3Pediatric Interventional Cardiology Department,Fundación Cardioinfantil,Bogotá,Colombia.

Mowat-Wilson syndrome is a genetic condition due to a mutation in the ZEB2 gene; it affects many systems including the cardiovascular system. The pulmonary arterial sling originates from a failure of development of the proximal portion of the left sixth aortic arch, resulting in an anomalous left pulmonary artery origin from the posterior wall of the right pulmonary artery and the left pulmonary artery crossing to the left lung between the trachea and the oesophagus. We present a 4-month-old infant with Mowat-Wilson syndrome and left pulmonary arterial sling, and discuss the association of these two rare conditions. Read More

Int J Cardiovasc Imaging 2018 Jun 25. Epub 2018 Jun 25.

Department of Health Statistics, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.

Detailed preoperative imaging of total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC) is critical to ensuring adequate surgical planning and preoperative decision making. The purpose of this study was to describe the computed tomography findings of TAPVC and identify morphologic death risk factors. We conducted a retrospective study included 70 patients with TAPVC between May 2014 and June 2017 in Hunan Children's Hospital. Read More

Paediatr Int Child Health 2018 08 18;38(3):187-192. Epub 2018 Jun 18.

a Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics , Faculty of Medicine , Chiang Mai University , Chiang Mai , Thailand.

Background: In low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), haemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) is treated with oral indomethacin (IDC) and ibuprofen (IB) instead of intravenous formulations. No significant differences in efficacy have been reported. However, previous studies had small numbers of VLBW infants (<1500 g). Read More

Echocardiography 2018 07 10;35(7):1049-1051. Epub 2018 Jun 10.

Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.

Cardiac MRI is a complementary and confirmatory modality to a clinical echocardiography in diagnosing patients with complex adult congenital heart disease, especially in presence of great vessel abnormalities. We present a unique case of a patient with pulmonary hypertension (PH), severe right ventricular hypertrophy, Gerbode defect, and a large patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). The diagnosis of PDA was not visualized on prior serial echocardiograms and discovered on a comprehensive cardiac MRI/Chest MR angiogram. Read More

Indian Pediatr 2018 May;55(5):417-424

Pediatric Cardiologist, Centre de Pediatrie, Clinique des Grangettes, 7 ch des Grangettes, 1224 Chêne-Bougeries, Geneva, Switzerland.

The role of functional echocardiography in neonatal intensive care unit is rapidly evolving, and increasingly neonatologists are using it in making clinical decisions in sick infants. Functional echocardiography can provide a direct assessment of hemodynamics on bedside, and may be considered as an extension of the clinical examination to evaluate cardiovascular wellbeing in the critically-ill infant. The physiological information may be used in targeting specific intervention based upon the underlying pathophysiology. Read More

J Korean Med Sci 2018 May 27;33(22):e155. Epub 2018 Apr 27.

Department of Pediatrics, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, Korea.

Background: This study evaluated echocardiographic changes in full-term healthy neonates during early transitional period from postnatal 0-72 hours at 12-hour intervals by echocardiography.

Methods: This was a prospective, observational, and longitudinal single-center cohort study. Morphometric, functional, systolic, diastolic, and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) parameters (patent ductus arteriosus [PDA], aorta, superior vena cava [SVC], stroke volume [SV], cardiac output [CO], cardiac index [CI], early diastolic flow velocity [E], late diastolic flow velocity [A], early filling in TDI [E'], peak systolic annular velocity in TDI [S'], late velocity peak in TDI [A'], and myocardial performance index [MPI]) were evaluated in left ventricle (LV) and right ventricle (RV) with 56 newborns. Read More

World J Pediatr 2018 06 23;14(3):254-258. Epub 2018 May 23.

Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of General, Visceral and Transplantation Surgery, University Hospital of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 110, 69120, Heidelberg, Germany.

Background: The indication and extent of cardiac screening before oral propranolol therapy (OPT) in patients with infantile hemangioma (IH) has been challenged. In this study, we evaluated pre-OPT cardiac diagnostics in a pediatric IH cohort in our department.

Methods: Retrospective chart review of infants ≤ 12 months old with IH undergoing OPT. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2018 May;97(21):e10569

Department of Radiology, Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital, 32# second section of first ring road, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.

Rationale: Interrupted aortic arch (IAA) is defined as a complete luminal and anatomical interruption between the ascending and descending aortas. The majority of patients with IAA rarely reach adulthood. In most cases, IAA is associated with an intracardiac malformation, such as ventricular septal defect, bicuspidaortic valve, and patent ductus arteriosus. Read More

Early Hum Dev 2018 06 10;121:37-43. Epub 2018 May 10.

Department of Pediatrics, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Japan.

Objectives: The correct ductus arteriosus (DA) closure time is somewhere between the opening and closing time confirmed on echo, not on examination. We investigated DA closure time and factors affecting DA closure time using interval censoring analysis.

Methods: This was an observational, retrospective study including 2611 healthy neonates. Read More

Semin Fetal Neonatal Med 2018 08 27;23(4):239-244. Epub 2018 Apr 27.

Department of Neonatology, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Assessment and management of a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in premature infants remains problematic. The more immature the infant, the more likely a PDA is to be present, due to lower spontaneous PDA closure rates. Clinicians now recognize that not all PDAs require treatment and that selection of the group of infants with a more hemodynamically relevant PDA, often manifesting as an increasing systemic-to-pulmonary shunt, is increasingly important. Read More

Arch Pediatr 2018 May 12;25(4):283-285. Epub 2018 Apr 12.

Department of radiology, hospital Laennec, 14, bis avenue Yves-Thépot, 29000 Quimper, France.

We report the case of an infant boy born at 39 weeks and 5 days who presented a cleft lip and palate. During the assessment to detect associated malformations, cardiac auscultation revealed a systolic heart murmur. Echocardiography and subsequent thoracic computed tomography angiography identified an aneurysm of the ductus arteriosus. Read More

Semin Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2018 Sep 12;22(3):265-269. Epub 2018 Apr 12.

1 Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.

Interrupted aortic arch (IAA) is a rare form of critical neonatal heart disease in which there is lack of continuity between the ascending aorta and the descending thoracic aorta. In the absence of prenatal diagnosis, patients with IAA present in shock when the patent ductus arteriosus closes. Diagnosis can generally be made by echocardiography, and initiation of prostaglandin E1 infusion allows for adequate lower body perfusion prior to surgical repair. Read More

BMJ Paediatr Open 2017 11;1(1):e000143. Epub 2017 Aug 11.

Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Advanced Pediatrics Centre, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.

Introduction: Haemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) is a common cause of mortality and morbidity in preterm infants. Existing medical therapies with ibuprofen or indomethacin have multiple adverse effects. Hence, an alternative drug like paracetamol given through oral route with less side effects need to be tested in an appropriate study design with least risk of bias to arrive at a conclusion. Read More

Heart Asia 2018 29;10(1):e010998. Epub 2018 Mar 29.

Department of Cardiology, Manipal Hospital, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.

A 38-year-old woman, 37+3 weeker was incidentally detected to have fetal cardiomegaly during 36 weeks ultrasound and referred for fetal echocardiogram. Antenatal history and anomaly scan were normal. Fetal echocardiogram showed heart rate of 153/min, sinus rhythm, situs solitus, levocardia, dilated right atrium and ventricle with venoatrial, atrioventricular and ventriculoarterial concordances. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2018 Mar 28;2018. Epub 2018 Mar 28.

Department of Neonatology, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore.

Gastric pneumatosisis a very rare site of pneumatosis intestinalis (PI), and we report this finding in a preterm female infant with cyanotic congenital heart disease. The infant was stable initially on nasal intermittent mandatory ventilation; however, torrential pulmonary flow through a large patent ductus arteriosus prompted closure using oral ibuprofen. After an episode of haematochezia, she developed PI, affecting mainly the gastric wall and small intestine with portal venous gas. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018 03 26;12(3):e0006362. Epub 2018 Mar 26.

Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America.

Background: Antenatal exposure to Zika virus (ZIKV) is related to severe neurological manifestations. A previous study in Brazil reported an increased incidence of non-severe congenital heart defects in infants with diagnosis of congenital Zika syndrome but without laboratory confirmation of ZIKV infection in the mother or infant. The objective of this study is to report echocardiographic (ECHO) findings in infants with laboratory confirmed antenatal exposure to ZIKV. Read More

Arch Dis Child 2018 Sep 22;103(9):859-863. Epub 2018 Mar 22.

Department of Paediatric Cardiology, Amalia Children's Hospital, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Background: Forecasting the prognosis of a child when diagnosed with Ebstein's anomaly is difficult. We, therefore, studied which factors at the time of diagnosis are associated with death during childhood.

Methods: All consecutive patients (0-18 years) diagnosed with Ebstein's anomaly in the Netherlands between 1980 and 2014 were included. Read More

Semin Fetal Neonatal Med 2018 08 7;23(4):292-297. Epub 2018 Mar 7.

Department of Neonatology, University Hospital of North Tees, Durham University, Stockton-on-Tees, UK.

Neonatologist-performed echocardiography (NPE) is an indispensable tool in the haemodynamic management of critically ill newborn infants. NPE is used to facilitate timely diagnosis of a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm infants and to assess its haemodynamic significance. Before treatment is considered, it is obligatory to confirm structural cardiac normality. Read More

Int J Cardiol 2018 06 14;261:54-57. Epub 2018 Mar 14.

Antilles-Guyane M3C Pediatric Cardiology Center, University Hospital of Martinique, Fort-de-France, Martinique (FWI), France.

Aim: To describe our initial experience with the Occlutech Duct Occluder (ODO) for percutaneous closure of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA).

Methods: Retrospective review of patients undergoing transcatheter PDA closure with the ODO in 2 academic centers.

Results: From April 2013 to September 2017, 42 patients underwent PDA closure. Read More

Pediatr Res 2018 May 11;83(5):1016-1023. Epub 2018 Apr 11.

Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.

BackgroundPostnatally, the immature left ventricle (LV) is subjected to high systemic afterload. Hypothesizing that LV pumping would change during transition-adaptation, we analyzed the LV in preterm infants (GA≤32+6), clinically stable or with a hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hPDA) by applying a pump model.MethodsPumping was characterized by E (effective arterial elastance, reflecting afterload), E (end-systolic LV elastance, reflecting contractility), E/E coupling ratios, descriptive E:E relations, and E/E graphs. Read More

J Vet Intern Med 2018 May 12;32(3):956-961. Epub 2018 Mar 12.

Department of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.

Background: Different methods to perform reference calibration of an angiographic image exist; however, a prospective comparison of calibration methods has yet to be investigated in veterinary medicine.

Objective: To compare angiographic measurements using two commonly employed reference calibration methods, an esophageal pigtail marker catheter (EC) versus a radiopaque table ruler (TR).

Animals: Thirty-five client-owned dogs undergoing transcatheter intervention. Read More

Cardiol Young 2018 May 28;28(5):771-772. Epub 2018 Feb 28.

Department of Pediatrics,Saitama Medical Center,Saitama Medical University,Saitama,Japan.

Spontaneous regression of severe aortic coarctation with ductus dependency has not been reported. We experienced a case of trisomy 18 with spontaneous regression of severe aortic coarctation complicated by ventricular septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus. The aortic isthmus diameter was 1. Read More

J Vet Intern Med 2018 Mar 20;32(2):648-657. Epub 2018 Feb 20.

Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.

Background: Accurately assessing the morphology and shape of the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) and obtaining measurements are important to avoid procedural complications.

Objectives: To characterize and compare PDA morphology, shape, and dimensions with angiography and echocardiography.

Animals: 25 client-owned dogs with echocardiographically confirmed PDA. Read More

Pediatr Cardiol 2018 Mar 17;39(3):627-632. Epub 2018 Feb 17.

A.O.R.N. "Ospedali dei Colli," 2nd University of Naples, Naples, Italy.

Transcatheter closure of arterial duct (AD) remains challenging in low-weight patients and using Amplatzer Duct Occluder devices is still considered off-label in infants < 6 kg. This study aimed to report a large, single-center experience of percutaneous AD closure in infants < 6 kg as well as to compare the most frequently used devices, Amplatzer Duct Occluder type I (ADO I) and Amplatzer Duct Occluder type II Additional Sizes devices (ADO II-AS) (St. Jude Medical Corp, St. Read More

BMC Pediatr 2018 02 16;18(1):66. Epub 2018 Feb 16.

Department of Neonatology, University Children's Hospital, Tuebingen, Germany.

Background: What constitutes a hemodynamically relevant patent ductus arteriosus (hrPDA) in preterm infants is unclear. Different clinical and echocardiographic parameters are used, but a gold standard definition is lacking. Our objective was to evaluate associations between regional cerebral tissue oxygen saturation (rcStO), fraction of tissue oxygen extraction (rcFtOE) measured by frequency domain near-infrared spectroscopy (fd-NIRS) and their correlation to echocardiographic, Doppler-ultrasound, and clinical parameters in preterm infants with and without a hrPDA. Read More

Brain Dev 2018 Jun 12;40(6):489-492. Epub 2018 Feb 12.

Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Japan. Electronic address:

Introduction: Filamin A (FLNA) is located in Xq28, and encodes the actin binding protein, filamin A. A mutation in FLNA is the most common cause of periventricular nodular heterotopia (PVNH), but a clear phenotype-genotype correlation has not been established. Indeed, some patients with a FLNA mutation have recently been shown to additionally have Ehlers-Danlos-like collagenopathy or macrothrombocytopenia. Read More

Cardiol Young 2018 Apr 9;28(4):592-594. Epub 2018 Feb 9.

1Department of Radiology,Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences,Lucknow,India.

Interrupted aortic arch is a rare congenital anomaly in newborns and infants and is commonly associated with other cardiovascular anomalies. Here, we report an unusual case of type A interrupted cervical aortic arch associated with long segment coarctation of the descending thoracic aorta. Patent ductus arteriosus reconstituted the descending thoracic aorta. Read More

Am Heart J 2018 02 2;196:119-130. Epub 2017 Nov 2.

Division of Cardiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Center for Pediatric Clinical Effectiveness, Perelman School of Medicine at The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Practice variation is a potentially important measure of healthcare quality. The IMPACT registry provides a representative national sample with which to study practice variation in trans-catheter interventions for congenital heart disease.

Methods: We studied cases for closure of atrial septal defect (ASD) and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in IMPACT between January 1, 2011, and September 30, 2015, using hierarchical multivariate models studying (1) the distribution of indications for closure and (2) in patients whose indication for closure was left (LVVO) or right ventricular volume overload (RVVO), the factors influencing probability of closure of a small defect (either in size or in terms of the magnitude of shunt). Read More

Gac Med Mex 2017;153(7):752-756

Servicio de Cardiología Pediátrica, Hospital de Especialidades Pediátricas, Hospital Dr. Jesús Gilberto Gómez Maza, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chis., México.

Objective: To identify the effectiveness of intravenous paracetamol for closure of patent ductus arteriosus in preterm ≤32 weeks gestation.

Method: This was a series of cases, a therapeutic intervention to closure was applied for ductus arteriosus >2 mm, identified by echocardiogram after 3 days of life, intravenous paracetamol was used, for a time range from 3 up to 6 days.

Results: The prevalence of patent ductus arteriosus in ≤32 weeks gestation, was 40%. Read More

Gastroenterology 2018 08 1;155(2):e5-e6. Epub 2018 Feb 1.

Department of Pediatrics, National Taiwan University Children Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.

Catheter Cardiovasc Interv 2018 02 5;91(3):478-484. Epub 2018 Feb 5.

Catheterization Laboratory for Congenital Heart Disease, Instituto Dante Pazzanese de Cardiologıa, Av Dr. Dante, Pazzanese 500 CEP 04012-180, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Background: Nit-Occlud (atrial septal defect) ASD-R and (patent ductus arteriosus) PDA-R devices are used outside the United States for percutaneous closure of the patent ductus arteriosus and atrial septal defects. When embolization occurs, these devices have been difficult to retrieve.

Methods: Bench simulations of retrieval of PDA-R and ASD-R devices were performed in a vascular model. Read More

J Am Heart Assoc 2018 Jan 20;7(2). Epub 2018 Jan 20.

Division of Paediatrics, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Background: Preterm birth has been associated with increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity in adult life. We evaluated whether preterm birth is associated with deviating cardiac structure and function before school start.

Methods And Results: In total, 176 children aged 6 years and born extremely preterm (EXPT; gestational age of 22-26 weeks) and 134 children born at term (control [CTRL]) were studied. Read More

Cardiol Young 2018 May 19;28(5):653-660. Epub 2018 Jan 19.

M3C-Necker Enfants malades,AP-HP,Université Paris Descartes,Sorbonne Paris Cité,Paris,France.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to describe radiation level at our institution during transcatheter patent ductus arteriosus occlusion and to evaluate the components contributing to radiation exposure.

Background: Transcatheter occlusion relying on X-ray imaging has become the treatment of choice for patients with patent ductus arteriosus. Interventionists now work hard to minimise radiation exposure in order to reduce risk of induced cancers. Read More

J Cardiovasc Ultrasound 2017 Dec 29;25(4):131-137. Epub 2017 Dec 29.

Department of Diagnostic Laboratory Medicine, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam, Korea.

Background: To evaluate the outcomes of left ventricular (LV) function according to treatment response for a hemodynamically significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) in preterm infants.

Methods: Echocardiograms of 21 preterm infants born at gestational age < 31 weeks obtained at term-equivalent age were retrospectively studied. Among preterm infants with a hsPDA, 9 underwent ligation after failure of pharmacological closure (ligation group) and 6 experienced successful pharmacological closure (medication group). Read More

J Cardiothorac Vasc Anesth 2018 08 11;32(4):1648-1654. Epub 2017 Dec 11.

Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address:

Objective: Transfontanelle ultrasound is a noninvasive method for assessing cerebral blood flow in neonates and infants. The authors applied this technique as a point-of-care tool, before and after modified Blalock-Taussig shunt procedure, to evaluate cerebral perfusion.

Design: Retrospective, observational study. Read More

World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg 2018 01;9(1):98-100

1 The Heart Center, Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Orlando, FL, USA.

A right aortic arch with an isolated left innominate artery from the left patent ductus arteriosus is a rare arch anomaly, and establishing continuity between the innominate artery and aorta can be challenging. We describe repair of this lesion in a three-week-old male using an autologous pedicle flap of ascending aorta as well as a homograft patch as the roof to recreate continuity between the aorta and left innominate artery. Read More

BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2018 01 3;18(1). Epub 2018 Jan 3.

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.

Background: Membranous ventricular septal aneurysm (MVSA) is a rare cardiac anomaly that can occur as an isolated entity or being associated with other cardiac malformations. Complications of MVSA include thromboembolism, arrhythmia, rupture, bacterial endocarditis, right ventricular outflow tract obstruction, and atrioventricular valve diseases.The success rate of pregnancy and delivery in patients with MVSA has not been reported in the literature. Read More