Congenital aneurysm of the right atrium: two cases report

Abstract Congenital aneurysm or enlargement of the right atrium is a rare condition. Two children operated on at the age of 14 months and 11 years old for congenital aneurysm of the right atrium are reported. Both presented cardiomegaly and symptoms of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. Diagnosis was established by echocardiography. Surgical resection was successful. Both patients are free of symptoms and their chest X-ray and echocardiogram are normal. The first patient is now in her 17th postoperative year. The patients' evolution suggests that the surgery is a curative procedure.

Aneurismas y divertículos cardíacos congénitos: reporte de una serie pediátrica / Congenital cardiac aneurysms and diverticula: a pediatric series

Introduccion: Los aneurismas y divertículos cardíacos congénitos constituyen malformaciones poco frecuentes y generalmente comprometen el ventrículo izquierdo. Pueden presentarse en forma asintomática, causar embolización, arritmia, insuficiencia cardíaca, rotura o muerte súbita. La ecocardiografía Doppler color realiza el diagnóstico y detecta malformaciones asociadas. La terapia puede ser médica o quirúrgica dependiendo de la presentación clínica y de los hallazgos en cada paciente. Método: Estudio retrospectivo de 5 pacientes durante un período de diez años, uno con divertículo, cuatro con aneurismas, en los cuales se analizó sexo, edad, motivo de consulta, sintomatología, hallazgos al examen físico, malformaciones extracardíacas o cardíacas asociadas. La ecocardiografía confirmó el diagnóstico y analizó la localización, efecto sobre la función cardíaca y presencia de complicaciones. Se estudió el tipo de tratamiento elegido como terapia antiplaquetaria, antiarrítmica o quirúrgica, además del seguimiento. Resultados: De un total de 5 pacientes, tres eran hombres, la mediana de edad al diagnóstico fue de 13 meses; dos de diagnóstico antenatal. Soplo cardíaco (3/5) fue el principal hecho que motivó el estudio. La ubicación más frecuente fue en el ventrículo izquierdo y la malformación cardíaca asociada la comunicación interventricular (2 pacientes). La terapia elegida fue médica en todos los pacientes con aspirina y en un caso se agregó atenolol por taquicardia ventricular no sostenida. Ningún paciente falleció. Conclusion: Constituye la primera publicación sobre esta patología en nuestro país; si bien es una serie pequeña, aporta aspectos clínicos, diagnósticos y de seguimiento que ayudan a sospechar esta rara malformación en el paciente pediátrico.

Introduction: Congenital cardiac aneurysms and diverticula are rare cardiac malformations which mainly affects the left ventricle. Clinically, most are asymptomatic or may cause systemic embolization, arrhyth-mia, heart failure, ventricular wall rupture or sudden cardiac death. Doppler echocardiography establishes the diagnosis and can detect associated malformations. Treatment may be medical or surgical, depending on findings. Patients and Methods: Retrospective study of 5 patients followed for ten years. One patient presented with a diverticulum and four with aneurysms. We analyzed sex, age at diagnosis, symptoms, physical examination, and associated cardiac and extracardiac malformations. Echocardiography confirmed the diagnosis and established location, cardiac function, and presence of complications. We analyzed the treatments used: antiplatelet, anti-arrhythmic or surgical therapy, and follow up. Results: Three were males, the median age at diagnosis was 13 months; in two patients the diagnosis was made before birth. Heart murmur in 3 of 5 patients was the main presenting finding. The most frequent location was the left ventricle and the associated cardiac malformation was ventricular septal defect in 2 patients. All patients were treated with aspirin. One patient with non-sustained ventricular tachycardia received ateno-lol. There were no deaths. Conclusion: This is the first report of this disease in our country. Although it is a small series it provides important clinical aspects for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up that help us suspect this rare malformation in pediatric patients.

Incidentally Found, Growing Congenital Aneurysm of the Left Atrium

A left atrial aneurysm is a very rare cardiac anomaly that usually develops in the left atrial appendage. It usually develops congenitally, and has a risk of life-threatening complications. Here, we report a case of a growing aneurysm of the left atrium that was incidentally found in a 42-yr-old woman. Eighteen years prior, an abnormal cardiomegaly was found on a chest radiography for a pre-operative study. The chest radiography at this time demonstrated a more prominent cardiomegaly than the previous radiography findings. The left atrial aneurysm was diagnosed by echocardiography and cardiac catheterization. Although asymptomatic, she underwent a successful surgical excision to allay the possibilities of rupture, arrhythmia, heart failure, or thromboembolism. The surgical findings demonstrated an 8 x 15 cm sized saccular aneurysm at the left atrial appendage, and the pathologic findings showed three myocardial layers. The patient has been asymptomatic during the 15 months of follow-up. In conclusion, a congenital left atrial aneurysm can grow with time, even in asymptomatic cases, and an aneurysmectomy is a curative treatment, which can eliminate the potential complications.

Defeito do anel fibroso mitral posterior com aneurisma de átrio esquerdo e insuficiência mitral: tratamento cirúrgico com sucesso / Defect of the posterior mitral fibrous ring with left atrial aneurysm and mitral insufficiency: successful surgical treatment

Aneurismas em átrio esquerdo são pouco comuns, podendo ocorrer na aurícula ou na parede do átrio esquerdo. Freqüentemente, são assintomáticos, podendo ocorrer arritmias, fenômenos tromboembólicos ou insuficiência cardíaca como complicação da sua evolução. Apresentamos paciente de 39 anos, do sexo feminino, com defeito do anel posterior da valva mitral levando a grande dilatação aneurismática da parede posterior do átrio esquerdo com insuficiência mitral. O diagnóstico foi feito pela radiografia de tórax (abaulamento de silhueta cardíaca esquerda) e ecocardiograma (grande aneurisma do átrio esquerdo posteriormente à parede posterior do ventrículo esquerdo com insuficiência mitral). O estudo hemodinâmico sugeriu pseudo-aneurisma de ventrículo esquerdo. Submetida a tratamento cirúrgico com auxílio da circulação extracorpórea, realizou-se anuloplastia mitral e exclusão do aneurisma com reconstrução do assoalho do átrio esquerdo com retalho de pericárdio bovino. A paciente apresentou boa evolução pós-operatória, recebendo alta hospitalar no oitavo dia em boas condições clínicas