Congenital absence of the left atrial appendage

Detailed cardiac examination showed a single ventricle of right ventricular morphology with a double outlet [Figure 1] and [Figure 2], along with a large ostium secundum ASD and mitral valvular atresia. [1] Though it functions to some extent as a decompression chamber and elaborates the atrial natriuretic peptide, it has attained importance in adults in situ ations of non-valvular and valular atrial fibrillation (AF). [2] However, in children, its characteristic morphology plays a crucial role in the sequential segmental analysis used in the assessment of congenital heart disease (CHD), particularly when one encounters complex anomalies,[3] as seen in our case of single ventricle; however, the LAA was absent.