title: [Echocardiographic diagnoses of congenital atrial appendage aneurysm: from fetus to adult].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To summarize the echocardiograhic features of atrial appendage aneurysm (AAA) in fetuses, children and adults and evaluate the value of echocardiography in the diagnosis of AAA.
  
  
  METHODS
  The AAA echocardiographic features of 6 fetuses, 1 child and 4 adults were retrospectively analyzed. And the diagnoses were confirmed by autopsy, postnatal follow-ups, computed tomography (CT) and surgery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Left atrial appendage aneurysm was more common than right atrial appendage aneurysm. AAA had the same echocardiographic characteristics in fetuses, children and adults. And it was usually combined with other complex cardiac malformations in fetuses while single cardiac abnormality was predominant in children and adults.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fetuses, children and adults with AAA may be found by echocardiography in time so that echocardigraphy has an important role in diagnosing AAA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound, Consultation Center of Maternal Fetal Medicine in Fetal Heart Disease ECHO Laboratory, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100029, China.
authors.forename: Wenxu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiaowei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Email: yingzhaoecho@163.com.
authors.forename: Yihua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Jianfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shang
authors.forename: Fengru
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020517:Atrial Appendage; D001344:Autopsy; D002648:Child; D004452:Echocardiography; D005333:Fetus; D006322:Heart Aneurysm; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital; D006801:Humans; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed