Perforation of the heart in a newborn with critical valvar pulmonary stenosis during balloon valvoplasty.

We describe the perforation of the right ventricular outflow tract with a 0.021 inch wire in a newborn infant with critical pulmonary valvar stenosis in an attempt to balloon dilatation of the pulmonary valve. The complication was diagnosed by contrast injection into the pericardium. The infant was followed with sector scan echocardiography and recovered completely from that injury. The dilatation was successfully repeated a few days later with the use of a soft tipped wire to cross the pulmonary valve.