Isolated Aneurysmal Dilatation of the Right Atrium, with Surgical Resolution, in a 53-Year-Old Adult
Edmar Atik et al. Alessandra Costa Barreto Maria Angélica Binotto Marcelo B. Jatene
Introduction
Isolated aneurysmal dilatation of the right atrium is a rare congenital anomaly. Its identification occurs in several age groups, from the fetus to adulthood. The clinical manifestation of this anomaly varies according to the magnitude of the dilation, from asymptomatic patients, usually in children and young people, to the presence of difficult-to-control supraventricular arrhythmias, right heart failure, airway obstruction, pneumonia, and thromboembolic events in adults. The diagnosis is established after verification of cardiomegaly in routine radiographic examinations and confirmed later by echocardiogram. It is noteworthy in this pathology the disproportionate size of the right atrium concerning the other cardiac cavities, with the tricuspid ring also dilated but with a preserved tricuspid valve. The tricuspid insufficiency that accompanies the condition results from the dilation of the valve ring. The recommendation for surgical correction then becomes prophylactic in childhood, given the good evolution verified later.
The differential diagnosis includes Ebstein’s anomaly, pericardial effusion, and mediastinal thoracic tumors.
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