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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Cardiovasc. Med.
Sec. Pediatric Cardiology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2025.1531754
This article is part of the Research Topic Surgical and Non-Surgical Intervention of Congenital Heart Disease Management in Developing and Developed Countries View all 5 articles
Cor Triatriatum: An Uncommon Congenital Anomaly - The Experience of a Tertiary Care Center in a Developing Country
Provisionally accepted
Jad Abdul Khalek 1
Christophe El Rassi 1
Maria Abou Mansour 1
Bshara Sleem 1
Issam El Rassi 2
Fadi Fuad Bitar 3
Mariam Toufic Arabi 3*- 1 Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
- 2 Al Jalila Children's Speciality Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- 3 Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon
Background: Cor Triatriatum is a congenital anomaly characterized by the abnormal presence of a fibromuscular junction in one of the atria, as seen on echocardiography. This anomaly can lead to major hemodynamic problems and obstruction of blood flow. This study aims to explore the risk factors, diagnostic modalities, and surgical interventions used to tackle this congenital anomaly at a tertiary care center over an 18-year period.Materials and methods: Medical records of congenital heart disease patients at the Children's Heart Center at the American University of Beirut Medical Center between 2006-2024 were retrospectively reviewed. Data collection included demographic characteristics, clinical outcomes, hospitalization details, and surgical treatment. Ethical approval was obtained, and descriptive statistics were employed for data analysis using SAS 9.4.Results: At our center, 7 patients were diagnosed with Cor Triatriatum, with a median age of 5 months. 4 of the patients were female, 3 were males, and the median hospital stay was 7 days. All patients were diagnosed with Cor Triatriatum Sinister, and respiratory symptoms were prevalent. Pulmonary vein abnormalities were observed in 4 ouf of 7 (57.1%) patients and atrial septal defects in 2 out of 7 patients (28.5%). Surgery resulted in successful membrane resection for all operated patients, with significant symptom improvement postoperatively.Cor Triatriatum is a rare congenital anomaly requiring early detection and diagnosis. Surgical intervention remains the mainstay of treatment, with favorable outcomes when performed promptly. Larger studies are recommended to optimize management strategies and improve longterm outcomes for affected patients.
Keywords: Cor Triatriatum, Echocardiography, congenital heart surgery, congenital heart disease, Blood Flow Obstruction 12.5% Among these, one patient (12.5%) succumbed
Received: 20 Nov 2024; Accepted: 18 Feb 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Abdul Khalek, El Rassi, Abou Mansour, Sleem, El Rassi, Bitar and Arabi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Mariam Toufic Arabi, Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, American University of Beirut Medical Center, Beirut, 1107 2020, Lebanon
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