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Right to left shunting through a patent foramen ovale (PFO) or atrial septal defect (ASD) can cause platypnea-orthodeoxia even in a setting of normal pulmonary artery pressures. However, the late onset of symptoms despite the congenital origin of the anatomical defects is not well understood. We report a case series of patients presenting with dyspnea and orthodeoxia who developed right to left shunting as a result of associated anatomical changes that occur with aging such as tortuosity and elongation of the aorta. We propose that these acquired anatomical changes can favor right to left shunting in the setting of congenital abnormalities, therefore explaining the late onset of symptoms.

The diagnosis of pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta is of paramount importance because of its propensity to rupture. As the frequency of surgical procedures involving the aortic root and valve increases, an increase in the incidence of aortic pseudoaneurysm may be anticipated. We recently studied a patient who developed pseudoaneurysm of the ascending aorta following repair of a Type I aortic dissection, utilizing a composite graft. Two-dimensional echocardiography with color flow and pulsed Doppler imaging showed a large perigraft cavity communicating with the aorta. Echocardiography provides a safe noninvasive diagnostic tool for the evaluation of the aorta postoperatively and for screening for pseudoaneurysm formation in the follow-up period.

Left ventricular pseudoaneurysms are a rare complication of myocardial rupture. The diagnosis is paramount because of the propensity of pseudoaneurysms to rupture. Color flow imaging has been reported to be an aid in the diagnosis of pseudoaneurysms. We recently studied a patient with a myocardial infarction who developed a left ventricular pseudoaneurysm. Diagnosis was made by two-dimensional imaging with color flow imaging. He subsequently had a repair procedure with a gortex graft. One week after repair, repeat echocardiography with color flow imaging showed flow into the aneurysmal sac at multiple sites, consistent with recurrence of the pseudoaneurysm. Echocardiography with color flow imaging provides a safe noninvasive diagnostic tool for evaluating pseudoaneurysms preoperatively and in assessing the competency of the repair postoperatively.