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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
diverticulum in ventricle
Answered by
Cleveland - OH
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diverticulum in ventricle
by coffee, Aug 10, 2003 12:00AM
Hi and thanks for this forum. I have several questions relating to a catheterization I had in March of this year. I am over 50 and have a few different congenital heart defects incl. tof (repaired as a teen)and bicuspid av.
Just found out there is a diverticulum in left ventricle. (Is this also known as "left ventricular diverticulum")?Is this usually also a congenital thing or can it just develop as I age? Is this a common thing? Does it usually enlarge? Is it commonly just left alone and could it rupture or throw clots or cause any problems? Do doctors treat this ever? Why wouldn't this have been picked up on past caths all these years? (or is it just that cath images have come a long way). I am not on any blood thinners. The only other problems I ever had heart-wise were with rhythm but they are under control. Thank you for your answers!
Just found out there is a diverticulum in left ventricle. (Is this also known as "left ventricular diverticulum")?Is this usually also a congenital thing or can it just develop as I age? Is this a common thing? Does it usually enlarge? Is it commonly just left alone and could it rupture or throw clots or cause any problems? Do doctors treat this ever? Why wouldn't this have been picked up on past caths all these years? (or is it just that cath images have come a long way). I am not on any blood thinners. The only other problems I ever had heart-wise were with rhythm but they are under control. Thank you for your answers!
Doctor's Answer
by Cleveland Clinic, Aug 10, 2003 12:00AM
, Aug 10, 2003 12:00AM
Coffee, Hopefully you're still awake for this response.
Ventricular diverticulae are a rare outpouching of the heart muscle. They are usually located in the ventricles but can also be located in the atria. They can be right or left sided. They can be associated with congenital heart disease.
Another possiblitly that can sometimes be mistaken for a diverticulum is an aneurysm or pseudoaneurysm of the ventricle. From what I understand, these can sometimes be difficult to distinguish.
There is debate in how ventricular diverticulae are managed. Some debate exist about resection, anticoagulation or conservative management.
What I would further investigate is whether you truly had a congenital diverticulum or if this could be an aquired aneurysm. An aneurysm would require anticoagulation or possibly resection since the risk of embolism is high. Modalities that might be useful could be echo -- possibly transesophageal, or MRI. An aneursym would not have any contractile function.
Hope this helps.
Ventricular diverticulae are a rare outpouching of the heart muscle. They are usually located in the ventricles but can also be located in the atria. They can be right or left sided. They can be associated with congenital heart disease.
Another possiblitly that can sometimes be mistaken for a diverticulum is an aneurysm or pseudoaneurysm of the ventricle. From what I understand, these can sometimes be difficult to distinguish.
There is debate in how ventricular diverticulae are managed. Some debate exist about resection, anticoagulation or conservative management.
What I would further investigate is whether you truly had a congenital diverticulum or if this could be an aquired aneurysm. An aneurysm would require anticoagulation or possibly resection since the risk of embolism is high. Modalities that might be useful could be echo -- possibly transesophageal, or MRI. An aneursym would not have any contractile function.
Hope this helps.
Member Comments (2)
by coffee, Aug 11, 2003 12:00AM
Thank you doctor for your great reply. I sure hope whatever decision the doctor makes is the right one! I hate when there are discrepancies and treatment options, especially if it concerns something the doctors don't seem to have much experience with. I appreciate the reply very much since this sort of came out of the blue for me.
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