Scimitar Syndrome: Role of Right Atrial Longitudinal Strain. A Case Report

We describe a case of a rare congenital heart disorder, scimitar syndrome, diagnosed in an adult woman presenting with dyspnea on exertion, chest pain and recurrent episodes of pulmonary infections. The hallmark of the syndrome is the presence of an enlarged anomalous pulmonary vein draining into the inferior vena cava. Speckle tracking echocardiography, including the often-forgotten atrial strain evaluation, is a sensitive parameter that should be routinely used for a better clinical and prognostic evaluation of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD).