Truncus arteriosus communis with survival to the age of 46 years: case report.

Truncus arteriosus communis is an uncommon congenital cardiovascular malformation characterized by a single arterial trunk that arises from the base of the heart and gives rise to the coronary, pulmonary and systemic arteries. The prognosis in truncus arteriosus is very poor without surgical correction. The median age at death without surgery ranges from 2 weeks to 3 months, with 85 % mortality by age 1 year. The authors report the autopsy findings of a 46 year old man with truncus arteriosus communis without surgical intervention who died at the hospital shortly after admission.