Abstract
Left ventricular-right atrial (LV-RA) communication is a rare congenital malformation. The diagnosis is rarely made clinically, and the true nature of the defect is usually not established until catheterization or surgery. We experienced seven cases of LV-RA communication: the infravalvular type in six and supravalvular in one. In four of seven patients the diagnosis of this anomaly was suggested before surgery. Operative death occurred in one patient — a 6.0-kg infant with a right-to-left shunt, Eisenmenger's complex. The six patients surviving are doing well and have been free of symptoms for postoperative periods ranging from 6 to 29 months. Characteristic features of this anomaly from clinical, radiologic, electrocardiographic, echocardiographic, and catheterization findings are discussed.
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