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We describe an 11-year-old girl with severe obstruction of the main pulmonary arteries caused by invasive aspergillosis and managed with combined pulmonary endarterectomy and antimycotic treatment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Nonpenetrating chest trauma can cause cardiac rupture. Ventricles are affected more frequently than atria. Survival is rare and depends upon prompt diagnosis and immediate surgical intervention. We report the case of a 42-year-old man involved in a car accident with consequent right atrial rupture and pericardial tearing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

: BackgroundAscending aortic aneurysms without dilatation of the sinuses of Valsalva are generally handled by resection and replacement with a tubular graft or by tailoring aortoplasty. We propose an alternative treatment with a direct anastomosis of the two stumps of the aorta after complete aneurysm resection through an upper J ministernotomy.: Patients and methodsWe have applied this procedure to 45 patients. Mean age was 60.2 ± 12.1 years. Mean aneurysm diameter was 51.0 ± 8.0 mm. The skin incision averaged 6.5 cm. Two circumferential aortotomies were made: one at the level of the sinotubular junction, the other one just below the innominate artery. The two ends of the aorta were then sutured with a 3-0 Prolene running suture. In 31 cases (61%) aorta-associated valve replacement was carried out.: ResultsHospital mortality was 4.4%. Mean CPB and cross-clamp times were 104 ± 71 and 68 ± 25 minutes respectively. Mean blood loss was 380 ± 300 mL. Median ventilation requirement and intensive care unit stay were 17 and 21 hours. Median hospital stay was 7 days. During the follow-up period (23.7 ± 12.3 months), 1 patient required reoperation and 2 patients died. Event-free survival is 88.4 ± 5.7 at 44 months. The surviving patients are routinely checked with ultrasonography and angio computed tomography scan. There was a very low redilatation rate (1 patient, 2.3%) and no incidence of pseudoaneurysm.: ConclusionsComplete resection of ascending aortic aneurysms with end-to-end anastomosis through an upper ministernotomy represents a feasible, safe, physiologic and cost-effective minimally invasive surgical option in cases of aneurysms with normal or nearly normal sinotubular junctions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]