[The false image of a left atrial mass due to a hiatal hernia: a case report]

We report the case of a 69-year-old woman with a history of hypertension and transient ischemic attack who was admitted because of a diagnosis of left atrial mass on transthoracic echocardiography. Monoplane transesophageal echocardiography showed an extracardiac mass compressing the left atrium posteriorly and an apparent intraatrial mass. As the procedure did not clarify the nature of the masses, a thoracic magnetic resonance imaging was performed. This technique revealed a large hiatal hernia impinging on the left atrium without evidence of an upper gastrointestinal tract. Our experience confirm that hiatal hernia may mimic an echocardiographic left atrial mass and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of this finding.