title: Prenatal diagnosis of a fetal left atrial diverticulum.
abstract: Fetal echocardiography, performed on a 22-year-old woman at 31 weeks' gestation, revealed a diverticulum of the left atrium. The size of the diverticulum was similar to the size of the fetal heart in a four-chamber view. No evidence of congestive heart failure or changes in size of the diverticulum were observed on subsequent ultrasound examinations. The echocardiographic image suggested presence of a thrombus within the diverticulum. Echocardiography of the newborn confirmed the diagnosis, and surgical correction followed five days after the birth. Our approach to this problem is discussed here.
authors.affiliation: Department of Fetal Cardiology, Clinic of Paediatric Cardiology, Medical University of Lodz, Poland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stańczyk
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moll
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wilczyński
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004240:Diverticulum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000002:abnormalities; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal