This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Left atrial enlargement

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The chest X-ray is a good method for assessing the size of the left atrium.

Signs of left atrial enlargement on chest X-ray include:

  • increased density in the region of the left atrium; the increased density extends to the right of the spine

  • a curvilinear border of the left atrium is seen through the right heart; this is a visible right-hand margin of the left atrium
  • left mainstem bronchus is more horizontal on PA chest radiograph, occasionally there is widening of the carinal angle (normal is 80ø)

Causes include:

  • obstruction at the left atrial level
    • mitral stenosis or regurgitation
    • atrial myxoma
    • cor triatriatum
  • left ventricular failure
  • aortic stenosis or regurgitation
  • co-arctation of the aorta

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.