What Are the Symptoms of an Atrial Septal Aneurysm?
Atrial septal aneurysms typically occur without any clinical signs or symptoms, according to the Clinical Cardiology journal. However, these aneurysms are often accompanied by other heart conditions, such as atrial arrhythmias and arterial embolisms. Most often, atrial septal aneurysms are discovered during a clinical examination for an accompanying heart issue.
An atrial septal aneurysm is a deformity that causes a protrusion of the septum, the thin tissue separating the upper chambers of the heart, notes the Annals of Pediatric Cardiology medical journal. A sac forms within the septum, causing it to bulge more than 15 millimeters from its normal position and into the left or the right chamber. The condition is considered to be benign, but its impact on a person’s health is not fully understood.
Atrial septal aneurysms produce abnormal heart sounds that can be detected even though a person is asymptomatic, informs Clinical Cardiology. The aneurysms cause low-pitched sounds, described as clicks. The sounds become louder when a person breathes in and do not change as a person shifts his postural position.
Studies link atrial septal aneurysms with other heart conditions that interfere with normal blood flow, adds the Circulation journal. More than half of the individuals who develop atrial septal aneurysms have other heart defects, including holes in the atrial septum and foramen ovale.
