Ventricular septal defect and bidirectional shunting? Things are not what they seem

World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg. 2013 Jan;4(1):126-7. doi: 10.1177/2150135112454144.

Abstract

This report describes the case of a 19-year-old woman with a diagnosis of muscular ventricular septal defect. Bidirectional shunting was observed during a transthorathic echocardiography evaluation which also suggested normal pulmonary arterial pressure. Moreover, anomalous and hypertrophic right ventricular muscular bands were observed. After having ruled out other possibilities, the plausible explanation is one, which is not described in the literature. The findings may be explained as a sequestrated portion of the cavity of the right ventricle that remains isolated from the rest of the right ventricle (RV) by anomalous and hypertrophic right ventricular muscular bands, with communication only between the left ventricle and the sequestrated part of the RV. This is an unusual variant of two-chambered RV simulating two-chambered left ventricle.

Keywords: adult congenital heart disease; ventricle right; ventricular septal defect; ventricular shunt.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Echocardiography / methods*
  • Female
  • Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / diagnostic imaging
  • Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / physiopathology*
  • Heart Ventricles / abnormalities*
  • Heart Ventricles / diagnostic imaging
  • Heart Ventricles / physiopathology
  • Humans
  • Young Adult