Gerbode defect is an unusual cardiac defect; its association with a double orifice mitral valve has not been previously reported. We present a case of a 45-year-old woman who complained of palpitation and dyspnea on exertion. Echocardiography revealed an abnormal communication between the left ventricle and the right atrium, but misinterpreted a double orifice mitral valve as fusion of the anterolateral commissure. The Gerbode defect was closed during cardiopulmonary bypass, while the double orifice mitral valve was left untouched. The patient was discharged 16 days postoperatively.
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart, New York.