title: Atrial septostomy under transesophageal guidance in a patient with primary pulmonary hypertension and absent right superior vena cava.
abstract: A patient presenting primary pulmonary hypertension and absent right superior vena cava underwent blade/balloon atrial septostomy as palliative therapy. Due to the anomaly of the venous drainage system, only transesophageal echocardiography allowed the performance of the maneuvre.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Erasme Hospital, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Unger
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stoupel
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vachiery
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Backer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D002404:Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative; D010166:Palliative Care; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional; D014683:Vena Cava, Superior / Q000002:abnormalities*