Congenital giant left atrial appendage aneurysm: a case report.

J Cardiothorac Surg

Institute of Cardiology, The First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, No.79, Qing-Chun Road, Hangzhou, China.

Published: March 2017

AI Article Synopsis

  • Congenital left atrial appendage aneurysm (LAAA) is a rare heart defect that can lead to severe complications like blood clots, heart rhythm issues, and heart failure, making early surgery usually necessary.
  • A case study of a female patient revealed that she completed a pregnancy and a C-section without complications, but later required surgery for her LAAA due to chest pain caused by the aneurysm pressing on nearby heart structures.
  • While surgery is often recommended for most patients with LAAA to avoid serious outcomes, asymptomatic patients without blood clots may be monitored instead; regular check-ups using echocardiography and brain MRI are important for managing the condition.

Article Abstract

Background: Congenital left atrial appendage aneurysm (LAAA) is a rare cardiac anomaly with potentially serious complications, including life-threatening systemic thromboembolism, atrial tachyarrhythmia, and cardiac dysfunction. Currently, early surgical intervention is generally recommended to prevent these complications.

Case Presentation: We present a case of congenital giant LAAA in a female patient who successfully completed pregnancy and underwent caesarean section with no obvious complications. Surgical resection of the LAAA was performed 3 years later, at the onset of chest pain resulting from compression of adjacent cardiac structures by the LAAA.

Conclusion: Surgical resection is recommended for the majority of patients with LAAA because of potential LAAA-related severe outcomes. However, clinical monitoring may be an optional strategy for asymptomatic patients without intra-atrial thrombus or other complications. Precise evaluation with echocardiography and brain magnetic resonance imaging is valuable for the subsequent management of LAAA.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5356375PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13019-017-0576-6DOI Listing

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