Aneurysm of the Interatrial Septum

The Common Vein Copyright 2008

Introduction

An aneurysm of the interatrial septum occurs both congenital as well as acquired conditions.  In diseases such as mitral atresia and tricuspid atresia blood is forced through the atrial septum and if the septum primum is restrictive then bulging of the septum occurs and over a long period this becomes an aneurysm.  A pathological specimen of an aneurysm of the interatrial septum and mitral atresia is demonstrated below.

Aneurysm of the Interatrial Septum in A Patient with Mitral Atresia

This is a pathological image looking down upon the interatrial septum, showing an aneurysm of the interatrial septum in this patient with mitral atresia and a restrictve ASD. In image b, the light green overlay represents the aneurysm while to the right of the image in red is the left atrium, and to the left of the image (patients right) the tricuspid valve is overlaid in blue. Courtesy Ashley Davidoff MD o06827c code cardiac heart RA LA interatrial septum aneurysm ASD septum primum congenital grosspathology