Diverticulum, or not Diverticulum, That Is the Question! Discussing About a Case of Left Ventricular Outpouching Associated With Bicuspid Aortic Valve Assessed by Cardiac Magnetic Resonance

Left ventricular diverticulum in association with bicuspid aortic valve and pseudocoarctation: Hitherto unreported association

Left ventricular diverticulum is a rare cardiac abnormality characterised by focal protrusion of the ventricular wall containing all the three layers with synchronous contractility. They have been described more commonly in paediatric patients and may be seen associated with congenital midline thoracoabdominal abnormalities. There are few reports of left ventricular diverticulum in cases of patent ductus arteriosus and coarctation with subaortic diverticula in the bicuspid aortic valve. Here, we report a case of left ventricular diverticulum in association with bicuspid aortic valve and pseudocoarctation in a 53-year-old female patient with a pertinent review of the literature.

A case report: multiple right ventricular diverticula with constrictive pericarditis and right heart failure

Background

Right ventricular diverticula (RVD) are very rare congenital anomalies and their association with constrictive pericarditis is even rarer. So far, only one case has been published in literature.

Case summary

We report a case of multiple congenital RVD with constrictive pericarditis and right heart failure which was incidentally identified on surveillance computed tomography (CT) for abdominal lymphangioma. Interval CT, echocardiography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) studies were performed and reviewed. Computed tomography abdomen showed hepatic congestion with features of portal hypertension, increasing size of the RVD on review of serial CTs, and eccentric foci of pericardial calcification. Echocardiography performed for breathlessness demonstrated supranormal early diastolic tissue velocities with average of 19.8 cms⁻¹ and a septal bounce phenomenon on m-mode imaging suggesting constrictive physiology, which triggered a CMR referral. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging HASTE and right ventricular (RV) outflow tract imaging showed four outpouchings along RV free wall, the largest measuring 4.5 × 2 cm with a sizeable neck. These outpouchings displayed a trabecular network and/or were contractile aiding the diagnosis of diverticula as opposed to aneurysms. Right ventricular function was moderately compromised, whereas left ventricular function was preserved.

Discussion

Right ventricular diverticula can be associated with, and potentially be causative of, pericardial thickening and calcification eventually leading to constrictive pericarditis and heart failure.

Congenital left ventricular aneurysm diagnosed with atrial septal defect

An 8-year-old girl with no history of chest pain or exertional dyspnea was admitted for atrial septal defect closure. Transthoracic echocardiography showed a sac in the right atrium, protruding from the left ventricle. A left ventricular aneurysm was confirmed by cardiac catheterization. At surgery, the protruding saccular aneurysm arising from the left ventricle was located between the atrial septal defect and the tricuspid valve. We closed the orifice with interrupted sutures from the right atrium. The atrial septal defect was closed with an autologous pericardial patch. Histology showed the aneurysmal wall had no myocardial layer, being replaced by fibrous tissue.

Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging in the assessment of patients presenting with chest pain suspected for acute coronary syndrome

Acute chest pain is an important clinical challenge and a major reason for presentation to the emergency department. Although multiple imaging techniques are available to assess patients with suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS), considerable interest has been focused on the use of non-invasive imaging options as coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) and cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). According to several recent evidences, CCTA has been shown to represent a useful tool to rapidly and accurately diagnose coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with low to intermediate cardiovascular risk. CCTA examination has the unique ability to non-invasively depict the coronary anatomy, not only allowing visualization of the lumen of the arteries in order to detect severe stenosis or occlusion responsible of myocardial ischemia, but also allows the assessment of coronary artery wall by demonstrating the presence or absence of CAD. However, routine CCTA is not able to differentiate ischemic from non-ischemic chest pain in patients with known CAD and it does not provide any functional assessment of the heart. Conversely, CMR is considered the gold standard in the evaluation of morphology, function, viability and tissue characterization of the heart. CMR offers a wide range of tools for diagnosing myocardial infarction (MI) at least at the same time of the elevation of cardiac troponin values, differentiating infarct tissue and ischemic myocardium from normal myocardium or mimicking conditions, and distinguishing between new and old ischemic events. In high-risk patients, with acute and chronic manifestations of CAD, CMR may be preferable to CCTA, since it would allow detection, differential diagnosis, prognostic evaluation and management of MI.