This Introduction provides both a short reflection on the scientific career of Adriana Gittenberger-de Groot and an overview of the papers that form the basis of this Special Issue giving them a proper perspective. The papers have as a central focus the outflow tract, and include contributions on development and pathology of the ventricles including AV valves, as well as developmental and pathomorphological aspects of the great arteries including semilunar valves and coronary arteries.
Keywords: aortic wall; arterial duct; bicuspid aortic valve; cardiovascular development; cardiovascular pathogenesis; coronary arteries; endocardial cushions; neural crest; outflow tract; semilunar valves.