title: Cardiac CT assessment of left atrial accessory appendages and diverticula.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to describe the prevalence, morphology, size, and location of left atrial abnormalities including diverticula and accessory appendages in consecutive patients undergoing cardiac-gated CT for coronary artery evaluation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Routine retrospectively gated contrast-enhanced 64-MDCT angiography (0.75-mm collimation, 330-milliseconds gantry rotation time) was performed in 529 consecutive patients. CT data sets were evaluated using axial, sagittal, coronal, and interactive multiplanar reconstructions; maximum intensity projections (MIPs); and interactive volume rendering. The presence, type, and location of left atrial appendages and diverticula were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred twenty-one patients had left atrial accessory appendages (n = 20) or left atrial diverticula (n = 81) or both (n = 20). One hundred four left atrial diverticula were found in 101 of the 529 patients (20%) and 44 accessory appendages in 41 patients (8%). Of the atrial diverticula, 88% were superior and anterior, 9% were right lateral superior, and 3% were inferior. Of accessory appendages, 34% were inferior posterior, 32% were left inferior, 18% were superior anterior, 14% were inferior posterior, and 2% were right inferior posterior. The average sizes of diverticula were 6.4 +/- 2.5 x 6.2 +/- 2.4 mm, and accessory appendages were 4.9 +/- 2.1 x 3.9 +/- 2.4 mm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Left atrial diverticula and accessory appendages are commonly found on cardiac-gated CT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Section of Cardiovascular Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit St. (GRB-290), Boston, MA 02114-2696, USA. sabbara@partners.org
authors.forename: Suhny
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abbara
authors.forename: Jorge A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mundo-Sagardia
authors.forename: Udo
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.forename: Ricardo C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Cury
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016477:Artifacts; D003287:Contrast Media; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D004240:Diverticulum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011857:Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media