Cardiac CT evaluation of left atrial diverticulum and accessory appendage

Background The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence, location, size, and morphological features of the left atrial accessory appendage and diverticulum with cardiac computed tomography. Cardiac computed tomography obtained consecutively from 1415 patients with normal ECG findings during a 2-year period were analyzed. Left atrial appendage and diverticulum type, location, and size were recorded and analyzed according to age and gender. Results Cardiac computed tomography of 1415 (796 males and 619 females) participants aged 44.1 + 12.2 years old were re-evaluated, and 238 atrial diverticulum were found in 234 (16.5%) patients, accessory appendage in 93 (6.5%), and atrial diverticula and accessory appendage together in eight (0.56%) patients. The atrial diverticulum was most frequently observed in the anterosuperior localization ( n = 157, 49.2%). One hundred and twenty-three (52%) of the atrial diverticulum were cystic, and 107 (45%) were tubular form. Accessory appendage was observed most frequently in the anterior superior location ( n = 65, 20.4%). Conclusions The frequency of left atrial diverticulum was found to be 16%, and the frequency of accessory appendage was 6%, consistent with the majority of the literature. Left atrial diverticulum and accessory appendage were detected more frequently in men than in women. Cystic form is more common in left atrial diverticulum.