Cineangiographic axial techniques were designed to overcome the limitations of conventional angiography in the diagnosis of congenital heart disease. Two basic patient (or equipment) maneuvers are involved; 1) long axis of the heart is aligned perpendicular to the X-ray beam, and 2) rotation of patient results in the heart being radiographically sectioned at 30 degree angles. To accomplish this with fixed vertical and horizontal X-ray tubes, three positions were developed: 1) "hepato-clavicular," "4 chamber," 2) "long axial oblique," 3) "anterior-posterior axial." A fourth, the "sitting-up" projection is discussed. The hepato-clavicular position profiles the posterior ventricular septum and atrial septum, separates the A-V valves, places the four cardiac chambers en face, and clarifies mitral valve-semilunar valve and outflow tract relationships. The long axial oblique profiles the anterior ventricular septum, left ventricular outflow tract, aortic valve-anterior mitral valve leaflet. The sitting-up view visualizes the bifurcation of the pulmonary trunk and separates true pulmonary arteries from systemic collaterals.
The case is described of a 4 1/2-year-old girl with a previously unreported malformation: a heart with three arterial trunks, aorta, main pulmonary artery, and an intermediate vessel, called "intermediate trunk" because it was situated between the aorta and the main pulmonary artery. Each of these three arteries had a semilunar valve at its origin, and their lumens were completely separated from each other. The pulmonary trunk arose from the right ventricle, while the aorta and the intermediate trunk arose from the left ventricle. The intermediate trunk continued as the right pulmonary artery. The pulmonary trunk continued as the left pulmonary artery. The outflow tracts of both ventricles were normal. There were therefore three arterial trunks arising from a heart with two outflow tracts. Our hypothesis on the embryopathogenesis of this case is that there was double septation of the primitive arterial trunk and the aortic sac, without involvement of the conus. In addition, there was a malalignment between the truncal and conal septa. This entity, however rare, should be considered in the differential diagnosis of absent or anomalous right pulmonary artery.
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