Medical Image of the Month: Bilateral Atrial Enlargement

Figure 1. Portable chest radiograph showing elevation of the left mainstem bronchus (red arrow).

Figure 2. Thoracic CT scan showing right atrial enlargement (blue circle) and left atrium (red circle).

Figure 3. Upper Image: Static image from echocardiogram showing right atrial enlargement (white circle). Lower image: video of echocardiogram.

A 97-year-old woman was repeatedly admitted for dyspnea, hypoxemia and treated with antibiotics for presumed left lower lobe pneumonia. She has a past medical history of atrial fibrillation, congestive heart failure and sick sinus syndrome with placement of a cardiac pacemaker. Notably on physical examination, she had heart rate of 110 beats/minute, temperature of 98.8°F, blood pressure of 122/72 mm Hg, and a respiratory rate of 27 breaths/minute. She had a sternal heave, a grade 4/6 "blowing" holosystolic murmur, a loud S2, jugular venous distension and an enlarged liver. Chest x-ray showed obscuration of the left lower lobe - the left heart border cannot be seen, and the L mainstem bronchus is straightened and lifted superiorly (Figure 1). An image of the heart is shown from a CT abdomen obtained 6 months previously, showing cardiomegaly, particularly massive atrial enlargement (Figure 2). An ultrasound showed bilateral atrial enlargement with moderate mitral regurgitation and severe tricuspid regurgitation (Figure 3). The left ventricular ejection fraction was 55%, but with abnormal septal motion. She was treated with gentle diuresis to help relieve volume overload, and isosorbide dinitrate for preload and afterload reduction. Pulmonary hypertension was attributed to chronic mitral regurgitation. The cause was unclear - the patient remembered that her brother had rheumatic fever as a young recruit in WWII, but didn't know whether she had ever experienced it.

Atrial enlargement can be of prognostic significance. Left atrium size has been found to be a predictor of mortality due to both cardiovascular issues as well as all-cause mortality (1). Larger right atrium than left atrium has been associated with all-cause mortality in elderly patients with heart failure (2).

Robert A. Raschke, MD

University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix

Phoenix, AZ USA

References

1. Patel DA, Lavie CJ, Milani RV, Shah S, Gilliland Y. Clinical implications of left atrial enlargement: a review. Ochsner J. 2009 Winter;9(4):191-6. [PubMed]
2. Almodares Q, Wallentin Guron C, Thurin A, Fu M, Kontogeorgos S, Thunstrom E, Johansson MC. Larger right atrium than left atrium is associated with all-cause mortality in elderly patients with heart failure. Echocardiography. 2017 May;34(5):662-7. [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Cite as: Raschke RA. Medical image of the month: bilateral atrial enlargement. Southwest J Pulm Crit Care. 2019;19(1):10-1. doi: https://doi.org/10.13175/swjpcc023-19 PDF

February 2015 Imaging Case of the Month

Michael B. Gotway, MD

Department of Radiology

Mayo Clinic Arizona

Scottsdale, AZ

Clinical History: A 37-year-old man, a former smoker (quit 10 years ago) presented to his physician as an outpatient with complaints of intermittent chest pain, malaise, and intermittent fever. Stress ECG and upper endoscopy were negative. His previous medical history was otherwise unremarkable. Various physicians told the patient his symptoms were due to “stress”; presumptive antibiotic treatment had no effect.

Frontal chest radiography (Figure 1) was performed.

Figure 1. Frontal chest radiography.

Which of the following statements regarding the chest radiograph is most accurate? (Click on the correct answer to proceed to the second of five panels)

1. The chest radiograph shows a circumscribed pulmonary mass
2. The chest radiograph shows asymmetric pulmonary vascularity
3. The chest radiograph shows bilateral linear and reticular opacities and diminished lung volumes suggesting fibrotic lung disease
4. The chest radiograph shows cardiomegaly and small pleural effusions
5. The chest radiograph shows numerous small nodules

Reference as: Gotway MB. February 2015 imaging case of the month. Soutwest J Pulm Crit Care. 2015:10(2):70-6. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13175/swjpcc018-15 PDF

Medical Image of the Week: Cervical Fracture and Dislocation

Figure 1. Panel A: Computerized tomography (CT) scan of the neck showing C5-C6 fracture and dislocation (arrow). Panel B: Accompanying magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the neck.

A 25 year old woman was a restrained driver in a rollover motor vehicle accident (MVA) and suffered a C5-C6 fracture-dislocation with spinal cord injury (Figure 1). She developed neurogenic stunned myocardium, symptomatic bradycardia and neurogenic shock. Her cardiac ultrasound has been previously presented and can be viewed by clicking here. After developing the adult respiratory distress syndrome and multi-system organ failure she had multiple cardiac arrests and died after 5 days in the intensive care unit.

Evan D. Schmitz, MD

Richland, Washington

Reference as: Schmitz ED. Medical image of the week: cervical fracture and dislocation. Southwest J Pulm Crit Care. 2014;8(4):204. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13175/swjpcc030-14 PDF