AJR:193, September 2009
Suhny Abbara, Jorge A. Mundo-SagardiaUdo Hoffmann, Ricardo C Curv
OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study is to describe the prevalence, morphology, size, and location of left atrial abnormalities including diverticula and accessory appendages in consecutive patients undergoing cardiac-gated CT for coronary artery evaluation.
MATERIALS AND METHODS. Routine retrospectively gated contrast-enhanced 64- MDCT angiography (0.75-mm collimation, 330-milliseconds gantry rotation time) was per¬ formed in 529 consecutive patients. CT data sets were evaluated using axial, sagittal, coro¬ nal, and interactive multiplanar reconstructions; maximum intensity projections (MIPs); and , interactive volume rendering. The presence, type, and location of left atrial appendages and diverticula were recorded.
RESULTS. One hundred twenty-one patients had left atrial accessory appendages (n = 20) or left atrial diverticula (n = 81) or both (n = 20). One hundred four left atrial diverticula were found in 101 of the 529 patients (20%) and 44 accessory appendages in 41 patients (8%). Of the atrial diverticula, 88% were superior and anterior, 9% were right lateral superior, and 3% were inferior. Of accessory appendages, 34% were inferior posterior, 32% were left infe¬rior, 18% were superior anterior, 14% were inferior posterior, and 2% were right inferior pos¬terior. The average sizes of diverticula were 6.4 ± 2.5 x 6.2 ±2.4 mm, and accessory append¬ages were 4.9 ±2.1 x 3.9 ± 2.4 mm.
CONCLUSION. Left atrial diverticula and accessory appendages are commonly found on cardiac-gated CT.