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(Circulation. 1968;37:397.)
© 1968 American Heart Association, Inc.

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Intrapericardial Aneurysmal Dilatation of the Left Atrial Appendage

THOMAS F. GODWIN M.D.¹; PIERRE AUGER M.D.¹; JAMES A. KEY M.D.¹; E. DOUGLAS WIGLE M.D.¹

¹ From the Cardiovascular Unit, Toronto General Hospital, and the Departments of Medicine and Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

A case of intrapericardial aneurysmal dilatation of the left atrial appendage occurring in a young woman is described. The patient presented with recurrent arrhythmia, which on one occasion was documented to be a supraventricular tachycardia. Routine chest x-ray revealed an abnormal configuration of the left heart border. A precordial scan with ¹³¹I-labeled albumin provided evidence that the mass on the left heart border was blood filled and strongly suggested that it was cardiac in origin. Pulmonary, followed by left atrial, cineangiography provided the definitive diagnosis and demonstrated extremely slow clearance of radiopaque dye from the appendageal aneurysm. Following surgical removal of the aneurysm the tachycardias have not recurred.

The previous experience in the literature with this problem is briefly presented.

Key Words: Congenital hypertrophy of the left atrial appendage • Congenital diverticulum of the left atrial appendage • Precordial scan

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