Diagnosis and surgical correction of cor triatriatum in an adult: Combined use of transesophageal echocardiography and catheterization

Abstract

This is an unusual case of a 37-year-old male whose initial presentation to medical care was for dyspnea. A transthoracic echocardiogram was suspicious for cor triatriatum, which was confirmed by transesophageal echocardiography. Since the resting transmembrane gradient was low, a cardiac catheterization with exercise hemodynamics was performed and demonstrated a marked increase in pulmonary capillary wedge and pulmonary artery pressures. The cor triatriatum was successfully resected at surgery. We have reviewed the English literature and find this to be a unique approach to diagnosis and management. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Intervent. 51:83-86, 2000.

Cor triatriatum presenting as heart failure with reduced ejection fraction: a case report

“…Cor triatriatum is a rare congenital cardiac malformation with an estimated incidence of 0,1% of all congenital heart disease and it usually refers to the left atrium (cor triatriatum sinister). In cor triatriatum sinister the left atrium is divided by a fibromuscular membrane into two distinct chambers: a posterior - superior chamber receiving the four pulmonary veins and an anterior - inferior chamber ( true left atrium ) that connects to the left ventricle by means of the mitral valve [ 1 ]. In the majority of cases it is diagnosed in neonatal period or early infancy, whereas adult cases are very rare.…”