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

✍ Scribed by Mark Rorie; Gong-Yuan Xie; Helga Miles; Mikel D. Smith

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 154 KB
• Volume: 51
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1522-1946
• DOI: 10.1002/1522-726x(200009)51:1<83::aid-ccd19>3.0.co;2-7

✦ Synopsis

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.