Mira Frand

The operative problem of small left atrium in total anomalous pulmonary venous connection: report of 5 patients.

A moderately small left atrium is a common finding in total anomalous pulmonary venous connection (TAPVC). In most patients in whom the common pulmonary vein is anastomosed to the left atrium, the small size of this chamber does not interfere with good operative results. Recently a patient was encountered in whom the left atrium measured less than 2 cm in its greatest dimension. This atrium was too small to take an anatomosis with the common pulmonary vein. Therefore the common pulmonary vein was anastomosed primarily to the right atrium, the floor of the fossa ovalis was excised, and a pericardial conduit was constructed. Subsequently, 4 additional patients have been similarly treated. The problem of small left atrium in TAPVC is discussed.

Left superior vena cava to the left atrium: do we have to change the traditional approach?

Left superior vena cava (LSVC) to the left atrium is a rare congenital cardiac complex, which may appear as an isolated anomaly, or as part of more complex cardiac anomalies. Traditionally, an intraatrial baffle was the preferred surgical technique. Although this technique has proved reliable and successful, acute ligation and extracardiac repair are simpler and easier solutions, requiring less myocardial ischemic time. We present 3 patients who underwent simple ligation and discuss the literature for other extracardiac options of surgical repair. Our patients had short transient congestion in the left upper part of their body that resolved completely after a few weeks, without further complications. We believe that either acute ligation or extracardiac repair is a much simpler yet effective solution to divert the left caval flow to the lesser circulation.

Ruptured interventricular septum after blunt chest trauma: ultrasonographic diagnosis

SummaryA 6-year-old child was found under a heavy bookcase that compressed her chest. On admission to the emergency room she was found to be dyspneic with a systolic murmur and complete atrioventricular (A-V) block. Her condition deteriorated rapidly, leading to cardiogenic shock and loss of consciousness. Echocardiographic Doppler evaluation demonstrated a large ventricular septal defect and tricuspid insufficiency. A pericardial patch was put over the tear in the septum, and torn chordae tendinae were reimplanted to the papillary muscles. A pacemaker was inserted. Her situation improved, but on the third day cardiogenic shock and right ventricular dysfunction ensued and the patient expired. A review of the previous 13 cases from the pediatric literature is presented.

Cerebral arteriovenous malformation diagnosis by two-dimensional color-coded Doppler ultrasonography of the head

SummaryTwo-dimensional color-coded Doppler examination revealed a cranial arteriovenous (AV) malformation in a critically ill newborn with intractable congestive heart failure. This case emphasizes the value of color-coded Doppler in the diagnosis of this rare malformation.

Cerebral embolization from an inferior vena cava thrombus in tetralogy of Fallot.

SummaryCerebrovascular accident (CVA) complicating cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD) is most frequently attributed to cerebral venous thrombosis, only rarely to in situ cerebral arterial thrombosis. Cerebrovascular accident due to paradoxical embolization from an inferior vena cava (IVC) thrombus in a patient with tetralogy of Fallot (TF) is described. This case is the first antemortem documentation of a venous embolic source that caused paradoxical embolization to the brain in a patient with CCHD, and illustrates the importance of noninvasive screening for a venous source of emboli in these patients.

Disseminated lntravascular Clotting and Renal Cortical Necrosis Complicating A Snake Bite

From the Departments of Pediatrics and Diagnostic Radiology, the Chaim Sheba Medical Center, TelHashomer, Israel. Correspondence to C. Kaplinsky, M.D., Department of Pediatrics C, Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer, Israel. Received for publication February, 1979; revised May, 1979 and accepted October 10, 1979. HEMORRHAGIC complications from snake bites a t EMORRHAGI are common and well documented, but coagulation disorders such as disseminated intravascular clotting (DIG) are much less frequent. We report a patient who developed disseminated intravascular clotting and renal cortical! necrosis as complications of a snake bite, and the typical angiographic features of the latter complication are discussed.

Acute Triclofos Poisoning in a Preterm Infant

A preterm infant with accidental triclofos sodium poisoning is described. He developed deep coma, severe hypothermia, mild hypotension and lack of the primitive and deep tendon reflexes. During recovery, the primitive reflexes were the last to appear. The natural course of triclofos poisoning, and its influence on the immature central nervous system of the preterm infant are discussed.