title: Obstructive membrane at the base of the left atrial appendage, a multi-imaging approach.
abstract: The left atrial appendage (LAA) is a small muscular extension that grows from the anterolateral wall of the left atrium, in the proximity of the left pulmonary veins. The presence of a membrane in the LAA is a rare clinical entity whose origin is not known. Its clinical implication in the genesis of atrial arrhythmias and thromboembolic risk remains unknown. We report a case of an obstructive membrane located at the base of the LAA, found incidentally in a young patient who was initially undergoing a transesophageal echocardiogram prior to an invasive treatment for atrial fibrillation.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Hospital Universitario Austral, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Demián
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chejtman
authors.forename: Matías
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Failo
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Richarte Rueda
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Logarzo
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barja
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Benticuaga
authors.forename: Maria Laura
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Ayerdi
authors.forename: Domingo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Turri
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baratta
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aguirre
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hita
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020517:Atrial Appendage / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: left atrial appendage function; membrane; transesophageal echocardiogram