title: Double-chambered right ventricle in an adult patient diagnosed by transthoracic echocardiography.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Double-chambered right ventricle is a rare congenital disease frequently misdiagnosed in the adult patient. An anomalous muscle band divides the right ventricle in two cavities causing variable degree of obstruction. Although echocardiography is considered a useful method for the diagnosis of this pathology in children, it has been recognized the transthoracic scanning limitation in adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 29 year-old patient with double-chambered right ventricle presenting mild exercise intolerance referred for follow up of a known ventricular septal defect in whom a complete diagnosis was obtained based only on transthoracic two dimensional echocardiography without the needing of cardiac catheterization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on non invasive echocardiographic diagnosis, patient was referred to surgical correction, which was completely successful.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil. minnaromano@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Minna M D
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: Rogério G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Furtado
authors.forename: Cinthia G F
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jurca
authors.forename: Oswaldo C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Almeida-Filho
authors.forename: Benedito C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Maciel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004452:Echocardiography; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D006352:Heart Ventricles; D006801:Humans; D017380:Hypertrophy, Right Ventricular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male