Non-iatrogenic left atrial wall dissection

Non-iatrogenic left atrial wall dissection is a rare lesion defined as a gap from the mitral valve annulus to the interatrial septum or wall of the left atrium. We report the case of a 57-year-old man with symptoms of acute cardiac and renal failure. Trans-esophageal echocardiography and computed tomography showed significant mitral valve regurgitation and dissection of the posterior wall of the left atrium. On the basis of detailed trans-esophageal echocardiography, the patient underwent mitral valve replacement with closure of the dissection orifice, which appears to be the appropriate therapeutic strategy in cases of spontaneous left atrial wall dissection.