A CASE OF COR-TRIATRIATUM IN AN 80-YEAR-OLD MAN - TRANSESOPHAGEAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHIC OBSERVATION OF MULTIPLE DEFECTS

An 80-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of recurrent s yncope caused by sick sinus syndrome. Conventional transthoracic echoc ardiography showed a membrane like echo-dense structure across the lef t atrium. Subsequently we confirmed the diagnosis of cor triatriatum w ith multiple defects and shunt hows across the membrane by transesopha geal color flow Doppler echocardiography. There were no other associat ed congenital anomalies. The patient recovered well and was discharged from the hospital after implantation of a permanent VVI pacemaker for sinus node dysfunction. No other cardiac intervention for the cor tri atriatum was done except follow-up with echocardiography. About 1 year after discharge, he died of massive cerebral infarction. The cardiac autopsy findings were compatible with the transesophageal echocardiogr am. This is a rare case of uncorrected cor triatriatum in an elderly p atient.