Aneurysms of the atrial septum diagnosed by echocardiography and their associated cardiac abnormalities

The association of atrial septal aneurysm and other cardiac abnormalities is reported in 14 consecutive cases diagnosed by cross sectional echocardiography. Color flow mapping was used in all cases in order to increase the accuracy in detecting associated lesions, especially small shunts at the atrial level. An atrial septal aneurysm occurred as an isolated lesion in just 1 patient (7%). In all other cases there was at least one associated cardiac defect. Atrial septal defect and prolapse of the leaflets of the mitral valve were particularly frequent, those lesions co-existing in half the patients. Although the lesion was not suspected clinically, physical examination, electrocardiography and chest X rays were abnormal in several patients, with a high incidence of eletrocardiographic abnormalities and supraventricular arrhythmias in the overall group.