© 2008 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine

J Ultrasound Med 2008; 27:1123–1124

0278-4297/08/$3.50

An Unusual Fetal Ductus Arteriosus Pathway

Authors

Ruben J Acherman, MD, William N Evans, MD, Donald Roberts, MD, Julie Machette, BS, RDMS, William Castillo, MD, Robert Rollins, MD

Source

Children’s Heart Center Nevada, 3006 S Maryland Pkwy, Ste 690, Las Vegas, NV 89109, USA.

E-mail: iacherman@aol.com.

Abstract

Ductal tortuosity occurs normally with advancing gestational age. Early in gestation, the 2-dimensional echocardiographic high transverse thoracic view shows the ductusarteriosus as a straight channel from the main pulmonary artery to the descending aorta. As gestation progresses, the ductus normally curves to the left away from the aortic arch. We report a fetus that had unusual ductal tortuosity: curving to the right posterior to the ascending aorta and above the right pulmonary artery.

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