Cor triatriatum: operative results in 20 patients.

Cor triatriatum is an uncommon cardiac anomaly occurring in 0.1% of children with congenital heart disease. We reviewed our results from 20 patients presenting with cor triatriatum in the last 20 years (from March 1983 to August 2002). Mean age at repair was 20 months (1-132 months). During a mean follow-up period of 31 months (2-156 months) there were no deaths. All patients were in sinus rhythm except one patient who needed pacemaker insertion one week after repair. A total of 14 patients were asymptomatic and 6 were in New York Heart Association Class I. Cor triatriatum is amenable to surgical repair with excellent results when diagnosed early, and when not associated with other severe cardiac anomalies.