Symptoms are those of a left-to-right shunt Shunting of blood flow About one in 100 babies is born with a heart defect. Some are severe, but many are not. Defects may involve abnormal formation of the heart's walls or valves or of the blood vessels that enter... read more , which include signs of heart failure, such as rapid breathing, poor feeding, and sweating.
Diagnosis is by physical examination findings, electrocardiography (ECG), and imaging of the heart.
Treatment is with surgical repair.
(See also Overview of Heart Defects Overview of Heart Defects About one in 100 babies is born with a heart defect. Some are severe, but many are not. Defects may involve abnormal formation of the heart's walls or valves or of the blood vessels that enter... read more .)
Aortopulmonary window is an abnormal opening between the aorta and the main pulmonary artery, which allows blood from the aorta to flow directly into the lungs. The defect results when the single, large blood vessel that exits the heart during fetal development fails to separate completely into the pulmonary artery and the aorta. This abnormality is very rare. Aortopulmonary window can occur on its own or occur with other heart defects, such as atrial septal defect Atrial and Ventricular Septal Defects Atrial and ventricular septal defects are holes in the walls (septa) that separate the heart into the left and right sides. Holes can be present in the walls of the heart between the upper heart... read more 
, coarctation of the aorta Coarctation of the Aorta Coarctation of the aorta is a narrowing of part of the aorta, the main blood vessel bringing red oxygenated blood from the heart to the body. The aorta narrows, causing the heart to pump harder... read more 
, or tetralogy of Fallot Tetralogy of Fallot In tetralogy of Fallot, four specific heart defects occur together. This condition includes four heart defects that can lead to oxygen-poor blood going directly to the body. Symptoms include... read more .
In children with aortopulmonary window, blood flows quickly and forcefully into the lungs, leading to high blood pressure in the lungs (pulmonary hypertension Pulmonary Hypertension Pulmonary hypertension is a condition in which blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs (the pulmonary arteries) is abnormally high. Many disorders can cause pulmonary hypertension. People... read more ) and heart failure. Eventually, if the defect is not repaired, Eisenmenger syndrome Eisenmenger syndrome About one in 100 babies is born with a heart defect. Some are severe, but many are not. Defects may involve abnormal formation of the heart's walls or valves or of the blood vessels that enter... read more develops.
Symptoms of Aortopulmonary Window
Symptoms are those of a left-to-right shunt Shunting of blood flow . Large left-to-right shunts cause too much blood to flow to the lungs and too much blood to return to the left ventricle, which may lead to signs of heart failure Heart Failure (HF) Heart failure is a disorder in which the heart is unable to keep up with the demands of the body, leading to reduced blood flow, back-up (congestion) of blood in the veins and lungs, and/or... read more 
(for example, rapid breathing, poor feeding, easy tiring, excessive sweating). During infancy, these symptoms may result in failure to thrive Failure to Thrive in Children Failure to thrive is a delay in weight gain and physical growth that can lead to delays in development and maturation. Medical disorders and a lack of proper nutrition are causes of failure... read more . A large left-to-right shunt also eventually leads to high blood pressure in lung arteries (pulmonary hypertension Pulmonary Hypertension Pulmonary hypertension is a condition in which blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs (the pulmonary arteries) is abnormally high. Many disorders can cause pulmonary hypertension. People... read more ). Most infants with an aortopulmonary window have a heart murmur.
Affected infants may have recurring respiratory infections.
Diagnosis of Aortopulmonary Window
ECG
Chest x-rays
Echocardiography (ultrasonography of the heart)
Doctors use the results of a thorough physical examination and electrocardiography (ECG), chest x-rays, and echocardiography to diagnose aortopulmonary window.
Treatment of Aortopulmonary Window
Surgical repair
Surgical repair of aortopulmonary window should be done as soon as possible after diagnosis.
More Information
The following English-language resources may be useful. Please note that THE MANUAL is not responsible for the content of these resources.
American Heart Association: Common Heart Defects: Provides overview of common congenital heart defects for parents and caregivers
