Not all obstructive cardiac lesions are created equal: double-chamber right ventricle in pregnancy.
Double-chambered right ventricle (DCRV) is a rare form of right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) obstruction accounting for approximately 1% of patients with congenital heart disease. It consists of an anomalous muscle bundle that divides the right ventricle usually between the sinus (inlet) and the infundibulum (outlet). This division creates a proximal chamber with high pressure and a distal chamber with low pressure. The hemodynamic obstruction of the RVOT is usually an acquired phenomenon, however the substrate for the anomalous muscle bundle is likely congenital. The diagnosis of DCRV should be considered in the young patient with an elevated right ventricular systolic pressure and intracavitary gradient. Echocardiography and cardiac MRI are the principal diagnostic tools for the assessment of DCRV. This entity is often misdiagnosed as pulmonary hypertension in the young patient, and can often go overlooked and untreated for many years. Definitive therapy involves surgical resection of the muscle bundle. This can often be curative and if done in a timely fashion, may prevent right ventricular remodeling. We describe the unique diagnostic dilemma, the course and management of a young adult with DCRV during pregnancy.
Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Bronx, New York 10461, USA.
Sandhya
S
Murthy
George
G
Lui
Farbod
F
Raiszadeh
Lawrence
L
Boxt
Cynthia
C
Taub
D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014694:Ventricular Outflow Obstruction / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D055815:Young Adult