National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Cor triatriatum


Other Names:
Triatrial heart
Subtypes:
Cor triatriatum is an extremely rare congenital (present at birth) heart defect. The human heart normally has four chambers, two ventricles and two atria. The two atria are normally separated from each other by a partition called the atrial septum and the two ventricles by the ventricle septum. In cor triatriatum there is a small extra chamber above the left atrium (cor triatriatum sinistrum) or right atrium (cor triatriatum dextrum). The presence of this extra atrial chamber can cause slowed passage of the blood from the lungs to the heart and, over time, lead to features of congestive heart failure and obstruction.[1][2] In children, cor triatriatum may be associated with major congenital cardiac problems. In adults, it is often an isolated finding.[2] Treatment depends upon the symptoms present and may include medical or surgical approaches.[3]
Last updated: 3/21/2013

These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

Where to Start

  • The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) has a report for patients and families about this condition. NORD is a patient advocacy organization for individuals with rare diseases and the organizations that serve them.

In-Depth Information

  • Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Cor triatriatum. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

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  1. Cor Triatriatum. National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). 2003; http://www.rarediseases.org/rare-disease-information/rare-diseases/byID/136/viewAbstract. Accessed 3/21/2013.
  2. Shirani J, Acharya YR, Kalyanasundaram A, Pourmoghadam KK. Cor Triatriatum. Medscape Reference. June 2012; http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/154168-overview. Accessed 3/21/2013.
  3. Pierre Nagib Nassar, Righab Haidar Hamdan. Cor Triatriatum Sinistrum: Classification and Imaging Modalities. Eur J Cardiovasc Med. January 2011; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3286827/. Accessed 3/21/2013.