Cor Triatriatum Associated with Coarctation of the Aorta

Abstract

Cor triatriatum, a term suggested by Borst,¹ in 1905, is a rare congenital malformation of the heart in which the left atrium is divided into two chambers by a fibrous or membranous septum. Subsequent to the first case reported by Andral,² in 1829, only 30 additional cases have been reported. An extensive review of the literature up to 1958 reveals no report of a correct preoperative diagnosis of this lesion. Successful surgical repair has recently been reported by Lewis and others³ and Barrett and Hickie.4 Recent advances in cardiac surgery make the effective repair of this defect possible, but because of unfamiliarity with this entity an accurate clinical diagnosis has not been made in the recently reported cases. The following is the first case of cor triatriatum associated with coarctation of the aorta in which the diagnosis was suspected antemortem. Report of Case This 2½-year-old white girl