COINCIDENTAL FINDING OF COR-TRIATRIATUM BY INTRAOPERATIVE TRANSESOPHAGEAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY IN A PATIENT WITH SEVERE MITRAL REGURGITATION FROM MYXOMATOUS DEGENERATION

Cor triatriatum is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly consisting of a l eft atrial membrane dividing the atrium into proximal and distal chamb ers. The anomaly usually presents in childhood, but can present later in life, in which case it is often associated with mitral regurgitatio n. We report a patient in whom cor triatriatum was found coincidentall y by intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography before surgery fo r severe mitral regurgitation. An interesting finding was preservation of antegrade systolic pulmonary vein flow by Doppler possible due to shielding of the pulmonary veins from the regurgitant jet by the left atrial membrane.