Respiratory Distress in Neonate With Scimitar Syndrome

Scimitar syndrome is a relatively uncommon association of congenital cardiopulmonary anomalies characterized by partial or complete anomalous pulmonary venous drainage from the right lung. It can present in the neonatal period, as well as later in life. In this paper, we present a case of a 15-day-old Saudi boy diagnosed with scimitar syndrome who presented with a chest infection and respiratory distress, along with a brief review of the literature. Key diagnoses, such as chest x-ray, echocardiography, and computerized tomography of the chest, led to the conclusion that the patient was a rare scimitar syndrome case. Understanding that scimitar syndrome usually presents with variable symptoms, we had to perform several diagnostic tests before concluding this was a scimitar syndrome case. Infantile scimitar syndrome requires a high degree of suspicion for early referral and management, so we needed to conduct a special diagnostic test. Our literature review of scimitar syndrome has supported our findings and encouraged us to share this rare scimitar syndrome case.