Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as a bridge to diagnosis in a 20-month old girl with pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular failure

Schlapbach, Luregn J; Grips, Martin; Justo, Rob; Karl, Tom (2012). Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation as a bridge to diagnosis in a 20-month old girl with pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular failure. Interactive cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, 15(6), pp. 1088-9. Oxford: Oxford University Press 10.1093/icvts/ivs401

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A 20-month old girl with severe pulmonary hypertension and cardiomegaly was admitted to the paediatric intensive care unit with right ventricular failure of unknown origin. Only after decompression of the heart chambers under extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), did the pathognomonic membrane of Cor triatriatum become visible on echocardiography. The patient underwent successful surgical correction and subsequently cardiac function recovered completely. Cor triatriatum remains a rare congenital cardiac disorder with a variable presentation, often including recurrent respiratory infections before right-sided heart failure occurs. This case illustrates that ECMO can serve not only as a bridge to diagnosis, but can also facilitate correct diagnosis. Given the excellent outcome after surgical treatment, it is crucial that cardiologists rule out the possibility of cor triatriatum when assessing a child with unexplained pulmonary hypertension.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Further Contribution)
Division/Institute:	04 Faculty of Medicine > Department of Gynaecology, Paediatrics and Endocrinology (DFKE) > Clinic of Paediatric Medicine
UniBE Contributor:	Schlapbach, Luregn Jan
ISSN:	1569-9293
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Language:	English
Submitter:	Anette van Dorland
Date Deposited:	04 Oct 2013 14:41
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 14:12
Publisher DOI:	10.1093/icvts/ivs401
PubMed ID:	22968957
Web of Science ID:	000311647500036
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/16565 (FactScience: 224233)