An inverted left atrial appendage after cardiac surgery is a rare finding and can be misinterpreted as a thrombus, mass, or vegetation. We report a case where intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography assisted in making an accurate diagnosis.
Journal:
:Annals of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery : official journal of the Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of Asia2009
Hitoshi HiroseIwao MatsunagaWaquas AnjunJoseph A WhittenFernando U GarciaMichael D Strong
We describe a 67-year-old man with a history of stroke who was found to have a mass at the left atrial ridge, at the free wall of the left atrium between the left atrial appendage and the pulmonary vein. The mass was removed surgically and pathological analysis showed fibroelastoma. A literature search showed that fibroelastoma in the left atrial ridge frequently causes embolic stroke.
