title: Inferior and right-sided juxtaposition of the left atrial appendage with an unexpected type of inter-atrial communication.
abstract: We have re-investigated an unusual cardiac specimen with juxtaposition of the atrial appendages. The original description dates to 1962, when the autopsy was performed at the Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, now Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. The heart was subsequently stored in the Farouk S. Idriss Cardiac Registry at the same institution. The specimen shows usual atrial arrangement, but with the morphologically left appendage juxtaposed in a rightward manner, passing behind the heart rather than through the transverse sinus so as to reach its location inferior to the morphologically right appendage. The heart also demonstrated an inter-atrial communication between the cavities of the juxtaposed left appendage and the morphologically right atrium. We provide a detailed description of the morphology, and provide images of this lesion, which to the best of our knowledge has not previously been described.
authors.affiliation: 1Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago,Chicago,Illinois,United States of America.
authors.forename: Anne E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Sarwark
authors.affiliation: 2Institute of Genetic Medicine,Newcastle University,Newcastle-on-Tyne,United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Robert H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.affiliation: 3Division of Pediatric Cardiology,University of Florida,Gainesville,Florida,United States of America.
authors.forename: Diane E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Spicer
mesh_terms: D020517:Atrial Appendage / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology*; D002102:Cadaver; D005260:Female; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000145:classification / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant
keywords: Functionally univentricular heart; anatomically corrected malposition; inter-atrial communication; left atrioventricular valvar atresia