Diagnosis and surgical correction of cor triatriatum in an adult: combined use of transesophageal echocardiography and catheterization.
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.
Rorie
M
M
Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Kentucky and Veterans Administration Medical Centers, Lexington, Kentucky 40536, USA.
Xie
G Y
GY
Miles
H
H
Smith
M D
MD
D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D003310:Cor Triatriatum / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000503:physiopathology; D011669:Pulmonary Wedge Pressure