Double chambered right ventricle with severe calcification of the tricuspid valve in an elderly woman: a case report

INTRODUCTION: Double chambered right ventricle is a rare congenital cardiac anomaly in which the right ventricle is divided into two chambers by an anomalous muscle bundle. The diagnosis of this disorder is difficult in adults. Calcification of the tricuspid valve is extremely rare, and very few cases have been reported. Most cases of tricuspid valve calcification had a congenital disorder with high pressure in the right ventricle. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a rare case of a 71-year-old Japanese woman who presented with chest discomfort, and was found to have a double chambered right ventricle with severe calcification of the tricuspid valve. This abnormality was found by echocardiography, and the diagnosis was confirmed by multislice cardiac computerized tomography, cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, and cardiac catheterization. Our patient rejected surgical repair, and medical therapy with carvedilol was effective to reduce her symptoms. CONCLUSION: Calcification of the tricuspid valve is extremely rare, and considered to be due to high pressure in the right ventricle. To the best of our knowledge, there are no other reported cases of this combination of double chambered right ventricle and calcification of the tricuspid valve.