title: Clinical manifestation and survival of patients with idiopathic bilateral atrial dilatation.
abstract: We studied the histories of eight patients who lacked clear evidence of cardiac abnormalities other than marked bilateral atrial dilatation and atrial fibrillation, which have rarely been discussed in the literature. From the time of their first visit to our hospital, the patients' chest radiographs and electrocardiograms showed markedly enlarged cardiac silhouettes and atrial fibrillation, respectively. Each patient's echocardiogram showed a marked bilateral atrial dilatation with almost normal wall motion of both ventricles. In one patient, inflammatory change was demonstrated by cardiac catheterization and endomyocardial biopsy from the right ventricle. Seven of our eight cases were elderly women. Over a long period after the diagnosis of cardiomegaly or arrhythmia, diuretics or digitalis offered good results in the treatment of edema and congestion in these patients. In view of the clinical courses included in the present study, we conclude that this disorder has a good prognosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Juntendo Urayasu Hospital, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Chiba.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arima
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanoh
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Okazaki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Iwama
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsuda
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D001706:Biopsy; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality*; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000473:pathology*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D015996:Survival Rate