Massive left atrial calcification: a case report and review of the literature.
Left atrial (LA) calcification is mostly observed in patients with rheumatic mitral valve (MV) diseases who underwent surgical treatment. We report a case of LA calcification in a 69-year-old woman presented with dyspnea and cyanosis. Admission electrocardiogram showed atrial fibrillation and biventricular hypertrophy. Her chest roentgenogram revealed cardiomegaly and a curvilinear whitish shadow in the area of LA. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed severe mitral stenosis and massive LA thrombosis. The patient underwent an emergent surgery, during which the whitish line on chest roentgenogram proved to be a calcified LA inner wall. During an on-pump surgery with cardioplegic arrest, she underwent open MV commissurotomy along with the excision of calcified LA wall and clots. The patient was discharged with no complications. Literature reviews showed that this entity is mainly observed in patients with rheumatic heart disease and presented with respiratory symptoms. The diagnostic modalities, management, and prognosis of previous cases were summarized.
Heart Valve Disease Research Center, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Saeid
S
Hosseini
Heart Valve Disease Research Center, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. yousefrezaei1986@gmail.com.
Yousef
Y
Rezaei
Heart Valve Disease Research Center, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Niloufar
N
Samiei
Echocardiography Research Center, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Anita
A
Sadeghpour
Heart Valve Disease Research Center, Rajaie Cardiovascular Medical and Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
Mohammad Mehdi
MM
Peighambari
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Hospital Clinico, Barcelona, Spain.
Carlos A
CA
Mestres
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University, Rhode Island, USA.
Frank W
FW
Sellke
D000368:Aged; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D012214:Rheumatic Heart Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis
Left atrial calcification; Mitral valve disease; Rheumatic heart disease