[Congenital aneurysm of the left atrial appendage]

Congenital aneurysm of the left atrial appendage is a rare anomaly, usually presenting in adult life. We report the case of a 31-year-old woman with a marked prominence of the upper left heart border at the chest X-ray in whom the diagnosis of congenital aneurysm of the left atrial appendage was confirmed by cross-sectional echocardiography and computed tomography. Up to few years ago angiography was considered the method of choice in establishing the diagnosis. Cross-sectional echocardiography has recently become a safe and reliable method for diagnosing congenital aneurysm of the left atrium and should be considered in any case with abnormality of the profile of left atrium on the chest radiography.