The spectrum of subdivided left atrium: diagnosis, treatment and outcome in eight patients

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Walter Knirsch1, Martin A G Lewin, Joachim G Rein

  • 1Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Pediatric Intensive Care, Olgahospital, Stuttgart, Germany. w.knirsch@olgahospital.de

Cardiology in the Young
|April 2, 2002
PubMed

Insights

Subdivided left atrium in infants can cause failure to thrive and cardiac issues. Surgical intervention offers good short- and intermediate-term outcomes for most patients, improving recovery from pulmonary hypertension.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Congenital Heart Disease
  • Cardiac Surgery

Background:

  • Subdivided left atrium is a rare congenital heart anomaly.
  • It presents with significant clinical challenges in infants, including failure to thrive and congestive cardiac failure.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the clinical presentation, diagnostic methods, and surgical outcomes of infants with subdivided left atrium.
  • To assess the short- and intermediate-term results of surgical management in this patient population.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of eight patients diagnosed with subdivided left atrium between January 1996 and April 2001.
  • Diagnosis confirmed by transthoracic echocardiography; cardiac catheterization used selectively.
  • Surgical intervention performed in seven patients.

Main Results:

  • Transthoracic echocardiography was diagnostic in all cases.
  • Six out of seven surgically treated patients showed good short- and intermediate-term outcomes (mean follow-up 34.3 months).
  • Postoperative improvements included thriving, reduced respiratory infections, absence of significant arrhythmias, and recovery from pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular hypertrophy.

Conclusions:

  • Subdivided left atrium requires prompt diagnosis and surgical management.
  • Surgical treatment leads to favorable outcomes, including resolution of pulmonary hypertension and improved overall health in surviving infants.

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