Aorto--left atrial fistula.

A Chinese man, aged 55 years, was admitted to hospital in January 1964, complaining of increasing shortness of breath on exertion, of about two months' duration. He had had some retrosternal chest discomfort but this was never severe, though it increased in severity following exertion. His face was noted to be swollen in the mornings and this swelling decreased towards the end of the day. In the past 10 years he had been prone to asthmatic attacks but he had been free from this complaint for five years before admission. He admitted exposure to venereal disease "when young" but had not been aware of any lesions following exposure.