title: Anatomy of the left atrium for interventional echocardiography.
abstract: The anatomy of the left atrium is reviewed with relevance to various interventional transcatheter procedures requiring manoeuvres within or passage through the left atrium. The component parts of the atrium--the atrial body with a vestibule, appendage, venous component, and the atrial septum--are described with emphasis on their spatial relationships to neighbouring cardiac and extra-cardiac structures. Normal variations are discussed for a better understanding of the anatomy so as to reduce the risk of potential complications during procedures.
authors: Cardiac Morphology Unit, Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust and Imperial College London, London SW3 6NP, UK. yen.ho@imperial.ac.uk
authors: Siew Yen
authors: SY
authors: Ho
authors: Karen P
authors: KP
authors: McCarthy
authors: Francesco F
authors: FF
authors: Faletra
mesh_terms: D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D004452:Echocardiography; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional