Double-chambered right ventricle: an uncommon congenital heart disease. Case report and literature review

A double-chambered right ventricle (DCRV) is a rare congenital heart disease and an uncommon cause of congestive cardiac failure. An anomalous muscle band divides the right ventricle into two cavities, causing variable degrees of obstruction. Echocardiography is considered a useful method for the diagnosis of this pathology, especially in children. An eight-year-old patient with a small ventricular septal defect (VSD) and double-chambered right ventricle presented with a history of palpitations, easy fatigability and recurrent fever. On presentation, she had features of congestive cardiac failure. A complete diagnosis was initially missed with transthoracic two-dimensional (2-D) echocardiography but later obtained based on transthoracic 2-D echocardiography with Doppler facility. This was confirmed with cardiac catheterisation. The patient was referred for surgical correction, which was successful. Due to the rarity of this condition and the consequences of missing the diagnosis, we present this case in order to highlight the rarity of this congenital heart disease in childhood.