Cor triatriatum is equally well imaged by transesophageal echo and magnetic resonance tomography in 1 adult patient. Diagnosis can also be made by transthoracic echocardiography and usually is. The initial diagnosis of classic cor triatriatum is rarely made as late as in the 3rd decade of life. Because the stenotic opening in the membrane separating the accessory from the true left atrium was found to be between 9 and 11 mm in diameter, the onset of symptoms in this patient was very late.

The volumes of 15 human right ventricular cast specimens were analyzed by computed tomography (CT) and compared with reference volumes and the values obtained by cineradiography. CT volumes were more accurate than those determined by cineradiography. The mean deviation between CT and reference volumes was 3.4%. The differences between cineradiographic values and reference volumes were 14 and 17%, respectively, for the 60 degree LAO projection, area-length method, and biplane 30 degree RAO/60 degree LAO projection, according to the Ferlinz method. The CT and cineradiographic volumes differed significantly in our experiment.

No abstract