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We report 2D-echocardiographic and angiocardiographic assessment of 28 cases of visceral heterotaxia with left atrial isomerism, with particular emphasis on infundibular ventricular morphology. Ventricular D-loop was present in 15 cases (52.6%), and ventricular L-loop in 13 (46.4%); 25/48 patients had concordant ventricular loop and cardiac position (89.3%). In 18 patients (64.3%) there were 2 balanced ventricles; of the other 10 patients, 9 (32.1%) presented right and 1 (3.6%) left ventricular dominance. Ventricular septal defect was present in 12 cases (42.8%). Ventriculo-arterial connections were concordant, with "normally related" great arteries in 9/15 cases with ventricular D-loop (60%). In these cases, ventricular morphology, connections and relations of the great arteries were typical of situs solitus. In the remaining 6 patients there was double-outlet right ventricle, also with normally related great arteries. In 12/13 cases (92.3%) with ventricular L-loop ventriculo-arterial connections were concordant with "mirror image normally related" great arteries. In these cases, ventricular morphology, connections and relations of the great arteries were typical of situs inversus. In one patient there was double-outlet right ventricle, also with mirror image normally related great arteries. Twelve patients (42.8%) had pulmonary stenosis and 5 had a systemic outflow obstruction (17.8%). From these observations we conclude that ventriculo-infundibular morphology, either of situs solitus-type or of situs inversus-type, is a typical anatomical feature of left atrial isomerism. These results may have important implications in the diagnosis and in the surgical management of patients with left atrial isomerism.

One hundred and eighteen consecutive cases of childhood acute diarrhoea (mean age: 10.5 months) were studied after admission to our Pediatric Unit in Naples over a 13-month period. A diagnosis was established in 92 patients (78%): 55% of patients were found to have an infectious enteritis (among them, 5 had ETEC infections and 1 had an ST-producing Klebsiella infection), 12% a parenteral infection, 11% cow's milk intolerance. The occurrence of gross blood (P less than 0.01), leukocytes, and reducing substances in the stools was more commonly associated with infectious enteritis than with diarrhoea due to all other causes. In 14 patients (8 of whom were malnourished), diarrhoea ran a prolonged course. In all, the eventual outcome was favourable. Our findings, while confirming that infectious enteritides account for most of acute diarrhoeas in children, stress the importance of parenteral infections and cow's milk intolerance in this condition. Also, the need for an accurate search for enterotoxigenicity of enterobacteria before ruling out their pathogenetic role is stressed

Among different anatomical causes of subaortic obstruction, anomalous attachment of the mitral valve on ventricular septum is one of the rarest. We report our experience with 4 such cases of subaortic obstruction. Their age at first observation ranged between 1 and 6 months. All patients had viscero-atrial situs solitus, levocardia and normal atrio-ventricular and ventriculo-arterial connections. None had associated cardiac septal defects. Cases with atrio-ventricular canal were excluded. All patients showed a systolic ejection murmur and electrocardiographic features of left ventricular hypertrophy; 3 presented congestive heart failure in the first 3 months of life. Diagnosis was made by 2D-echocardiography and cardiac catheterization in 3 patients and intraoperatively in 1. Only in the last 2 patients, correct diagnosis was made at the initial 2D-echocardiographic examination. Due to left ventricular hypertrophy, in the first 2 patients hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy was originally suspected. One patient died intraoperatively during attempted transaortic resection of subaortic obstruction. Other 2 patients underwent left ventricle-aortic conduit implantation. Of these 2 patients, 1 died 3 months later for sepsis and the other was reoperated upon 3 years later for mitral valve replacement and conduit take-down, with good clinical result. The fourth patient is waiting for surgical intervention. Subaortic obstruction due to anomalous attachment of the mitral valve on ventricular septum may present with early congestive heart failure; the best diagnostic tool is 2D-echocardiography. Left ventricle-aortic conduit may represent a surgical alternative to transaortic resection.

• The atrioventricular canal is the "classic" congenital heart anomaly in Down syndrome. We may learn more of the nature of this disorder by careful study of the anatomic characteristics of the cardiac lesions and by comparing these lesions in patients with and patients without Down syndrome. We reviewed the clinical characteristics (echocardiographic and angiocardiographic) of 220 patients with atrioventricular canal and compared the prevalence of anatomic types and associated cardiac malformations in children with (105) and without (115) Down syndrome. In patients with Down syndrome, the complete form of atrioventricular canal was prevalent, with a high frequency of associated Fallot's tetralogy. Partial atrioventricular canal and left-sided anomalies were more common in patients without Down syndrome. Down syndrome is associated with a simpler type of atrioventricular canal when compared with patients with a normal chromosome configuration. ( AJDC . 1990;144:1120-1122)

1990;97;766b-766 Chest B Marino, U Vairo, C Marcelletti and R Calabro atresia and complex congenital heart disease. pulmonary arteries in patients with pulmonary Morphology of ductus arteriosus and of the http://chestjournal.chestpubs.org/content/97/3/766b.citation can be found online on the World Wide Web at: The online version of this article, along with updated information and services ) ISSN:0012-3692 http://chestjournal.chestpubs.org/site/misc/reprints.xhtml ( without the prior written permission of the copyright holder. reserved. No part of this article or PDF may be reproduced or distributed Chest Physicians, 3300 Dundee Road, Northbrook, IL 60062. All rights of been published monthly since 1935. Copyright1990by the American College is the official journal of the American College of Chest Physicians. It has Chest