title: Aneurysm of the left atrial appendage.
abstract: We present the case of a 33-year-old woman with atrial tachyarrhythmias and chest pain. The transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated an intrapericardial liquid mass confirmed as an aneurysm of the left atrial appendage by a nuclear magnetic imaging study. Aneurysmectomy was performed with the assistance of cardiopulmonary bypass with a bilateral submammary skin incision and subsequent median sternotomy. The patient had an uneventful postoperative course. We suggest aneurysmectomy aided by cardiopulmonary bypass as a safer method of treatment for this rare cardiac anomaly.
authors.affiliation: Division of Surgery, Heart Institute (InCor), University of São Paulo Medical School, Brazil. dclpablo@incor.usp.br
authors.forename: Pablo Maria Alberto
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Pomerantzeff
authors.forename: Herbert Martin
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Freyre
authors.forename: Carlos Manuel
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: de Almeida Brandão
authors.forename: Antonio Carlos
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Pereira Barreto
authors.forename: Sérgio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Almeida de Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020517:Atrial Appendage; D005260:Female; D006322:Heart Aneurysm / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans