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Updated: Aug 26, 2026

Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
Published on: February 8, 2022
Atrial septal defect in apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy associated with coronary spasm
Insights
Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) with atrial septal defect (ASD) and coronary spasm is rare. This case report details successful diagnosis and surgical treatment, alleviating patient symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Diseases
- Cardiac Surgery
Background:
- Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a recognized myocardial disease.
- The rare co-occurrence of HCM with atrial septal defect (ASD) and coronary spasm presents diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.
Observation:
- A 62-year-old male presented with congestive heart failure.
- The patient exhibited apical HCM complicated by coronary spasm and a secundum-type ASD.
Findings:
- Diagnostic imaging, including transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography, alongside cardiac catheterization, proved crucial.
- Medical management with calcium channel blockers for coronary spasm and surgical patch closure for ASD were successfully implemented.
Implications:
- This case highlights the importance of comprehensive diagnostic approaches for complex cardiac conditions.
- Successful surgical intervention and medical management can effectively alleviate symptoms in patients with coexisting apical HCM, ASD, and coronary spasm.
Abstract:
Apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a well-known myocardial disease, but the additional coexistence of an atrial septal defect (ASD) and coronary spasm is quite rare. We report here on a 62-year-old man suffering from congestive heart failure due to apical HCM complicated by coronary spasm and secundum-type ASD. The transthoracic, transesophageal echocardiography and cardiac catheterization were useful for diagnosing and evaluating of the patient's status. A calcium channel blocker was given to prevent coronary spasm, and a surgical patch closure operation was successfully performed. Afterwards, his symptoms were alleviated.
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