Prenatal diagnosis of aortopulmonary window with interrupted aortic arch by fetal echocardiography.

We report the first case of prenatally diagnosed aortopulmonary window (APW) with interrupted aortic arch. The mother was referred for fetal echocardiography at 29 weeks' gestation because of suspected congenital heart disease. On the short-axis view, we clearly imaged the aortopulmonary septal defect at the proximal pulmonary artery and type A interrupted aortic arch. The window was 4 mm and the shunt flow detected by color flow Doppler was right-to-left in systole and early diastole. All aortic arch branches originated from the aorta proximal to the interruption. The well-developed ascending aorta was not continuous with the descending aorta in the sagittal view of the aortic arch. Visualization of the direction of the shunt flow across the APW and each origin of subclavian arteries was useful for the diagnosis of APW with interrupted aortic arch. 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.