ATRIAL SEPTAL DEFECT IN A 50 YEARS OLD MALE PRESENTING AS OBLIQUE SEPTAL CANAL THAT APPEARED TO BE REGULATED BY FIVE LUMINAL BANDS

To date seven different types of atrial septal defects (ASD) have been described and they include septum primum, septum secundum, superior vena cava, inferior vena cava, coronary sinus and patent foramen ovale types of ASD. One feature in common among these ASD’s is that they all present with a hole that may allow communication between the left and right atria. The current observation reports what appears to be a new type of ASD that is characterized by the presence of an oblique septal canal that opens into the right and left atria. The right atrial opening was D-shaped and measured about 0.9 cm wide and the left atrial opening was crescent-shaped and measuring about 0.5 cm wide. In addition to this the left atrial opening was associated with five luminal bands; the last three bands lies on the roof of the oblique septal canal. The action of pulling the first luminal band resulted into closure of the left atrial opening an indication that the bands prevented blood coming from the lungs from entering into the right atrium. The presence of oblique septal canal and luminal bands has not been reported in relation to the ASD’s. Continued documentation of such anomalies remains clinically important particularly in African settings where unexplained illnesses are easily attributed to endemic diseases.