Complex Cervical Aortic Arch With Hypoplasia: A Simple Solution to a Complex Problem

An Elegant Solution to a Complex Problem

As systems evolve over time, their natural tendency is to become increasingly more complex. Studies in the field of complex systems have generatednewperspectivesonmanagement in social organizations such as hospitals. Much of this research appears as a natural extension of the cross-disciplinary field of systems theory. This is the 13th in a series of articles applying complex systems science to...

Cervical aortic arch: a commentary.

C ERVICAL AORTIC ARCH (CAA) was first described by Reid in 1914.’ Rare as it is, CAA provides a link in the embryogenesis of the great arteries of the thorax. Its interesting variations offer a clarifying dimension to the complex confusion of anomalies of the thoracic aorta. The high location of the CAA is usually attributed to persistence of the right or left third arch instead of the fourth a...

Double aortic arch and complex cardiac malformations.

Vascular ring caused by double aortic arch most commonly occurs as an isolated anomaly (Keith, Rowe, and Vlad, I967). However, its association with pulmonary stenosis (Bahnson and Blalock, I950), tetralogy of Fallot (Griswold and Young, I949; Stewart, Kincaid, and Edwards, I964), truncus arteriosus (Kerwin, I936), ventricular septal defect and left superior vena cava (Lincoln et al., I969), and...

Echocardiographic assessment of long axis function: a simple solution to a complex problem?

The cervical aortic arch.

NAB, a nine-year-old Malay female, presented at the age of five months with poor weight gain and recurrent upper respiratory tract infection; it was diagnosed as Tetralogy of Fallot. She had no hypercyanotic spells but was severely restricted in her activities. She was a full-term, spontaneous vertex delivery. Antenatal and postnatal periods were uneventful and her milestones were normal. She w...