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Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
07:41

Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure

Published on: February 8, 2022

Diverticulum of the posterior left atrial wall

Bernhard A Herzog1, Lars Husmann, Rolf Jenni

  • 1Cardiovascular Center, University Hospital Zurich, Raemistrasse, Zurich, Switzerland.

Echocardiography (Mount Kisco, N.Y.)
|November 20, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Left atrial diverticula are rare congenital heart defects. This case report details the incidental discovery of a left atrial diverticulum and interatrial septal aneurysm during coronary artery disease screening.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Congenital Heart Malformations

Background:

  • Left atrial diverticula are rare congenital cardiac malformations with unknown etiology.
  • They can be associated with arrhythmias, thromboembolism, and mitral valve regurgitation.

Observation:

  • A patient presenting with suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) underwent low-dose computed tomography coronary angiography.
  • Coronary artery disease was ruled out.
  • An incidental finding revealed a diverticulum on the posterior wall of the left atrium, along with an interatrial septal aneurysm.

Findings:

  • Computed tomography coronary angiography identified a left atrial diverticulum and interatrial septal aneurysm.
  • Transthoracic echocardiography confirmed the diagnosis of these rare cardiac anomalies.

Implications:

  • This case highlights the importance of recognizing incidental findings during cardiac imaging for suspected coronary artery disease.
  • The co-occurrence of left atrial diverticulum and interatrial septal aneurysm may warrant further investigation into their potential clinical significance and management.

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