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UPDATED: The root term for this word comes from the Latin [fenestram] meaning "window". [Fenestration] is "the presence or the act of creating a window". As an example, the term is used to describe a small, round opening found in the medial wall of the tympanic cavity (middle ear), the [fenestra cochleae] or [fenestra rotunda] meaning "round window" (see image 1)
Fenestrations can be found as natural occurrences in the body, as a result of an infection or destructive process or pathology, or they can be surgical procedures attempting to create a window, opening, or foramen. The cusps of all the heart valves can present normal fenestrations in the distal aspect of the cusp, beyond the coaptation or closure line. These become abnormal fenestrations when they occur below the coaptation line which may need to be repaired. Image 2 shows normal and abnormal fenestrations in the cusps of an aortic valve. Fenestrations in a valve cusp can be caused by endocarditis, among other causes.
Some surgical fenestrations that can be described are:
1. Fenestration of a tooth, allowing for drainage.
2. Pericardial fenestration, also known as a "pericardial window" to allow for drainage of excessive pericardial fluid (pericardial effusion).
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