An asymptomatic 10-year-old boy presented with reduced exercise tolerance and an echocardiographic diagnosis of cor triatriatum. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography failed to reveal the persistent levoatrial cardinal vein discovered at surgery. In patients with late presentation of cor triatriatum with severe mitral inflow obstruction and a small patent foramen ovale, an alternative communication between the posterior collecting chamber and the systemic venous circulation should be sought with alternative imaging techniques.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
KanedaTOnoeMMatsudaMMoriwakiSMoriN. Patent levoatrial cardinal vein without left heart hypoplasia. Ann Thorac Surg2006; 81: 740–2.
2.
TsutsumiKOokuraM. Asymptomatic cor triatriatum incidentally revealed in an elderly patient with mitral stenosis. Jpn J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg2003; 51: 452–5.
3.
CaputoSSantoroGMorelliCSarubbiBD'AltoMRussoMG. Subtotal anomalous pulmonary venous connection and left cor triatriatum: a rare diagnosis in adulthood. J Am Soc Echocardiogr2006; 19: 836.e1–4.
4.
VouhéPRBaillot-VernantFFermontLBicalOLecaFNeveuxJY. Cor triatriatum and total anomalous pulmonary venous connection: a rare, surgically correctable anomaly. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg1985:90: 443–5.
5.
CornoAF. Congenital heart defects. Decision making for cardiac surgery. Vol 1 & 2. Darmstadt: Springer-Steinkopff Verlag, 2003 & 2004.
6.
ChenKThngCH. Multislice computed tomography and two-dimensional echocardiographic images of cor triatriatum in a 46-year-old man. Circulation2001; 104: 2117.