Diagnosis of a giant left atrial appendage aneurysm by contrast‐enhanced echocardiography: Case report and literature review

Abstract

Left atrial appendage aneurysm (LAAA) is a rare pathologic entity that can be congenital or, more frequently, acquired. Its complications include arrhythmias and thromboembolic events, palpitations, hiccups, chest pain, dyspnea, and myocardial infarction. LAAA can be isolated or associated with other congenital anomalies such as atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, anomalous renal artery, Noonan syndrome, and Hurler‐Scheie syndrome. We report a rare case of giant LAA with intra‐aneurysmal thrombus diagnosed by contrast‐enhanced echocardiography.

MEK Inhibition in a Newborn with RAF1-Associated Noonan Syndrome Ameliorates Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy but Is Insufficient to Revert Pulmonary Vascular Disease

“…In addition to progressive HCM, she finally developed pulmonary hypertension, a clinical feature described in several patients with the p.Ser257Leu amino acid substitution in RAF1 [ 24 ] and hydrocephalus, also already reported in association with this variant [ 24 ], in this case likely related to intraventricular hemorrhage of prematurity. Pulmonary artery dilation, consistent with an aneurysm, has been rarely observed in NS, reported only in a single newborn and in an adult patient [ 32 ], whereas cardiac and great arteries aneurysms have been sporadically described as part of the NS phenotype [ 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 , 38 ]. The pulmonary artery dilation observed in this patient was likely an epiphenomenon of the pulmonary hypertension (PH) and the histological abnormalities observed in the lungs: histology revealed pulmonary capillary hemangiomatosis (PCH), a very rare cause of PH characterized by extensive proliferation of pulmonary capillaries within alveolar septae [ 39 ] never reported in NS.…”

Case Report: Giant Congenital Left Atrial Appendage Aneurysm Presenting With Acute Massive Cerebral Infarction and Refractory Atrial Fibrillation: A Case Report and Literature Review

“…The presentation of LAAA was greatly variable. About one-third of LAAA was discovered incidentally during the echocardiographic exam and was asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis ( 21 ). Others develop symptoms or signs of the disease in about the third decade of life ( 13 ).…”

“…Khaled A. Shams reported a case with aneurysmally dilated LA pushing the heart to the right side, and thus a dextro-posed heart was misdiagnosed as dextro-cardia with rheumatic heart disease and AF for a long time till the disease progressed to cardiogenic shock ( 29 ). Contrast-enhanced echocardiography can demonstrate the connection of LA and the cavity, which clearly shows the LAAA border, and more importantly the presence of a thrombus, which is a key element for therapeutic choice ( 21 ). TEE can provide clear visualization of the structure and composition of the LAAA and its connection with LA and should be mandatory if the diagnosis is ambiguous after TTE ( 30 ).…”

Prenatally diagnosed left atrial appendage aneurysm with various postnatal imaging investigations: A case report

“…A congenital left atrial appendage aneurysm (LAAA) is a rare congenital condition, that is, usually diagnosed in the second to fourth decade of life. [1][2][3] Cases of prenatal LAAA have been rarely reported. 4,5 The postnatal clinical manifestations include palpitations, dyspnea, arrhythmia, and thromboembolic complications; however, some patients may be asymptomatic in the first decade of life.…”

“…A congenital left atrial appendage aneurysm (LAAA) is a rare congenital condition, that is, usually diagnosed in the second to fourth decade of life 1–3 . Cases of prenatal LAAA have been rarely reported 4,5 .…”