Right Atrial Aneurysm in Adults—Report of Three Cases and Review of Literature

Abstract

Right atrial aneurysm (RAA) or RA diverticula are described as saccular structures originating from the RA free wall. This must be differentiated from aneurysmal dilation of the entire right atrium. We diagnosed three cases of RAA since 2000. The first patient presented with effort intolerance, the second with recurrent palpitations, and the third was totally asymptomatic. In all the cases transthoracic echocardiography was definitive with little additional information obtained from catheterization. We report our experience and review the literature pertaining to adult presentation of this interesting pathology, of which only 20 cases have thus far been reported.

Congenital Idiopathic Dilatation of the Right Atrium: Antenatal Appearance, Postnatal Management, Long-Term Follow-Up and Possible Pathomechanism

“…There are clear characteristics distinguishing an aneurysm, ‘as a dilatation of the atrium involving all layers of the atrial wall, from a diverticulum, an entry of fibromuscular strands across the atrial wall’ [6]. However, in the literature this clear distinction is not made continuously, as one can see in the definition by Chockalingam et al [7]: ‘an atrial aneurysm, or diverticulum, is an aneurysmal outpouching from an otherwise normal atrium’. Therefore, because of inconsistent terminology, the first description of IDRA was cited differently by Borrichin in 1676 [8], Semans and Taussig in 1938 (cited by Imren et al, 2006 [4]) and Morrow and Behrendt [9] in 1968.…”

Right atrial aneurysm

“…Right atrial aneurysms probably increase in size as the patient ages (Chockalingam et al, 2004). Once they reach a large size they can predispose the patient to supraventricular tachycardia (Chen et al, 2001), but it was unknown whether the patient in the present case had any history of this arrhythmia.…”

A case report of a giant right atrial aneurysm in a 78-year old patient

“…Этиология ее неизвестна. Существует несколько названий данного заболевания: идиопатическое расширение ПП [1,2,3], дивертикул ПП [4,5,6], гигантское ПП [7,8], аневризма ПП [9,10,11]. При анализе литературных данных с 1955 по 1998 г. T.M.…”