Interrupted aortic arch (IAA) is rare congenital cardiac defect defined as a complete loss of luminal and anatomical continuity between ascending and descending segments of the aorta. Usually it is detected in the perinatal period or during the first hours or days of infancy. If not treated surgically, it usually is lethal. Nevertheless, diagnosis can be made in adults but is a very rare entity. Extremely few cases in adults are reported in the pertinent medical literature. We present an asymptomatic 62-year-old patient who was found to have IAA after examination for hypertension. The patient underwent a successful anatomical repair, with an uneventful postoperative course, and follow-up examinations reveal regression of hypertension and excellent health condition.

Background: The presence of subcutaneous emphysema, pneumomediastinum and pneumoperitoneum simultaneously is a rare complication of upper gastrointestinal endoscopy that usually indicates free perforation to the peritoneal cavity or the retroperitoneal space.Case presentation: We report an unusual case of a self-limited subcutaneous emphysema, pneumomediastinum and pneumoperitoneum following an unsuccessful ERCP for removal of a common bile duct stone.Conclusion: There was no radiological evidence of peritoneal or retroperitoneal perforation. This complication is distinct from pneumomediastinum and pneumoperitoneum due to perforation, and must be recognized, because it is benign and needs no surgical or radiological intervention.

Temporary epicardial pacing wires are routinely used during cardiac surgery; they are dependable in controlling postoperative arrhythmias and are associated with low morbitity.

INTRODUCTION: Subpleural lipomas are rare intrathoracic benign tumors. They are often discovered incidentally on plain chest radiographs and the diagnosis is usually established by computed tomography. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We report a case of subpleural lipoma, with enlargement during a period of two years. Pathology examination of the specimen confirmed the diagnosis of lipoma. DISCUSSION: For non-invasive diagnostic investigation, computed tomography enables the identification and quantification of subpleural lipoma due to their characteristic fat attenuation. Surgical resection with thoracotomy or VATS provides more accurate and firm diagnosis, and complete excision. CONCLUSION: This clinical entity needs attention due to difficult preoperative differentiation. Complete surgical excision of these lesions with the appropriate surgical approach is mandatory, for both diagnosis and treatment.

In right ventricular failure (RVF), an interatrial shunt can relieve symptoms of severe pulmonary hypertension by reducing right ventricular preload and increasing systemic flow. Using a pig model to determine if a pulmonary artery - left atrium shunt (PA-LA) is better than a right atrial - left atrial shunt (RA-LA), we compared the hemodynamic effects and blood gases between the two shunts.