A double-chambered left ventricle in a patient with palpitation

A 28 years old male patient was admitted to the department of cardiology after an episode of atypical chest pain, exertional dyspnea and palpitation on exercise. He was a chronic smoker and was smoking about 15 cigarettes per day, but had no family history of early heart disease. The echocardiography demonstrated the presence of an abnormal chamber in close contact to the left ventricle that followed systole and diastole. The coronary angiography was normal and the left ventriculography showed a double-chambered left ventricle. Theradionuclide ventriculography confirmed the presence of two separate chambers that communicate with each other and the ejection fraction obtained was 43%. (author)