title: Atrial lipomatous hypertrophy: lipomatous atrial hypertrophy with significant involvement of the right atrial wall.
abstract: Lipomatous atrial hypertrophy is a generally benign abnormality characterized by the deposition of adipose tissue in the interatrial septum and is usually detected as an incidental echocardiographic finding. We present two cases in which the presence of lipomatous atrial hypertrophy was diagnosed by transthoracic echocardiography, but tangential cuts of a more diffuse lipomatous process suggested the presence of intracavitary right atrial mass lesions. Transesophageal echocardiography provided additional details of significant right atrial wall involvement. In one case computer assisted tomographic scans showed a progression of thickening over a 4-year period. Lipomatous atrial hypertrophy can be a more generalized and progressive abnormality then previously thought and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of echocardiographic intracavitary right atrial masses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Norwalk Hospital, New Haven, CT.
authors.forename: I S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Raiker
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006338:Heart Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008067:Lipoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed