Enlarged right atrium

[Wendyendy]

What does it mean to have an enlarged right atrium? If anything?

[Marissa916]

This is an old post ,  but I've been googling too much tonite due to anxiety! I just got an EKG done and it shows Right Atrial Enlargment with normal sinus rythm . My GP said it is more than likely attributed to my recent training for a race and intense strength training. I've never heard about that before but it did prompt me to research further and found that it's common for endurance athletes to have enlarged hearts (athletes heart) . How are you doing today? I'm awaiting an ECHO in a few weeks and have running in a race the day before :/ it was already planned in advance before I started feeling heart flutters which is why I went in to see my GP in the first place . Hope you're well!

[bdknight]

Hi all!

I am new to the site, but just had an echo of my Heart done at the University Cardiology Department here. I was having issues getting life insurance as my last echo showed a ejection fraction (EF) of 55%.  So, after the new Echo, my EF was now 70%..very good!!  But wait!  There's more!  They found my Left Atrium (LAVI) is severely Enlarged at >59ml/m2.  The Sever range starts at >40m/m2.

So now I am denied Life Insurance and worried about getting Afib and/or clots.  The Doc said I show no signs of heart issues, the rest of the Echo was perfect, with only slight valve leakage due to age. I have no shores of Breath, no swollen legs, and cycle hard every day and eat a veggie diet and no meats, no smoking and no drinking.  

As my Doc said nothing about what I read in the echo report "after" I saw him (I was given the echo report when I left) I had a very deep concern...yet he said come back in a year?   So, I am planning on going to the Mayo Clinic for a more definitive answer and plan to deal with this issue.  

One thing I have read is that stress can cause the atrium to enlarge.  Well, three years ago, my echo showed no atrial enlargement...so what happened in the last three years?  My wife, an semi pro cyclist had a serious accident and fractured her neck (C1-C2) broke her back, ribs and collarbone..and in and out of surgeries over the last two years..  So, my stress level was extreme as I am sure you all can imagine.

I would love to hear anyones story in dealing with an enlarged atrium.  I might add, that there is a recent study by Georgetown University over a two year study and they found that only Hydrchlorithiazide actually reduced the enlarged Atrium..  Pretty amazing!

[Marissa916]

This is an old post ,  but I've been googling too much tonite due to anxiety! I just got an EKG done and it shows Right Atrial Enlargment with normal sinus rythm . My GP said it is more than likely attributed to my recent training for a race and intense strength training. I've never heard about that before but it did prompt me to research further and found that it's common for endurance athletes to have enlarged hearts (athletes heart) . How are you doing today? I'm awaiting an ECHO in a few weeks and have running in a race the day before :/ it was already planned in advance before I started feeling heart flutters which is why I went in to see my GP in the first place . Hope you're well!

[erijon]

You are welcome and congrats on your weight loss, that would certainly be a possible cause for your findings. I have Rheumatory Arthritis in my ribs and I get chest pain as a result so I also have ECHOs each year just to be safe. If this was the only thing noted on your report, you should be very pleased, that's a good report.

Jon

[Wendyendy]

By an ECHO. I have lupus and have been have a lot of problems with chest pains lately. But every test that they have done comes back normal. This is the first one that has come back anything slightly abnormal. It just stated that is was mildly enlarged. I'm not sure of the size.  But I too have lost 92 pounds in the last year. So maybe that could be some of it. My doctor is out of town so I just got a letter. I figured it couldn't be anything to serious. Thank you for your reply.

Wendy

[Wendyendy]

By an ECHO. I have lupus and have been have a lot of problems with chest pains lately. But every test that they have done comes back normal. This is the first one that has come back anything slightly abnormal. It just stated that is was mildly enlarged. I'm not sure of the size.  But I too have lost 92 pounds in the last year. So maybe that could be some of it. My doctor is out of town so I just got a letter. I figured it couldn't be anything to serious. Thank you for your reply.

Wendy

[erijon]

An enlarged right atrium is usually a sign of high blood pressure or episodes of AFIB. Having said that, most doctors don't get too worked up about enlarged atrium sizes on ECHOS as much these days as the information is very subjective. In an ECHO, they take an image that represents a "slice" of each chamber and measure the size. If your heart has a sight variation in orientation, the reading will be overstated. For example, think of a banana, if you cut it on a 45 degree angle it will have a larger size of the "slice" than it would if you cut it at a perfect 90 degree angle. I had the same thing noted on my last ECHO (4.9 when it should be 4.0) yet it was still considered normal. In my case my cardiologist said since I have lost 60 pounds, the oreintation of my heart has most likely changed and the readings are not accurate. The only way to get an 100% sure measurement of an atrium is to measure the volume and that is not done on ECHOS. EKGs can also sometimes indicate enlarged atriums but they are not considered reliable in most cases and ECHOs are required to confirm.

Bottom line, true enlarged atriums are a symptom of another condition like high blood pressure. How did they get a your atrium size?

Jon  

[desertrat49]

I had an echo a week ago as I have to have one every 6 months to keep an eye on my ascending aortic aneurysm that I was diagnosed with in June '05.  Aneurysm has not changed much at all over the years, but, my cardio doc also had my tech take a closer look at my heart just for safety measures.  Doc tells me that my right side of heart is in the upper limits of normal.....Which threw me into a spin.  Guess I should have asked her more questions.  I do have scarring on my lungs from past infections/pleurisy.  But, I have had them for years and they were noted when I had the Ct scan on my chest back in 2005 that found my aneurysm.  They have stayed the same.  I asked her if those could cause an increase in size of my R. side heart and she said yes.  That is really all I asked.  Then when I get home and start checking out the net, of course, all sorts of things are going through my head.  JON:::::  she did explain briefly how those slices are taken like you explained.  She did not say that the echo could be off though on measurements.  Oh, how I wish that were the case.  I tried to make an appt. with her to go over some of my past records of echo and ct/scans but I cannot get in to see her for another 4 Months which is too long.  This town I live in has a doctor shortage and it drives me nuts as I was use to Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL where things could get done pronto.  I WONDER JON how many times the echo has been off on measurements ..... I am not sure if I have ever been measured like this last echo did.  I was never told anything other than everything was fine except of course for the aneurysm.  I have turned into a Nervous Nellie since being diagnosed with this aneurysm.  Wish I were not, but, my mind will wonder everywhere.  Never did smoke, drank so minimal not worth mentioning.  Was fit for years .....but had to stop due to bad knees and surgery on them.  But I do know many things happen health wise with no good reason to many of us.  I hope you are still around ...You are the only one who spoke about echo measurements....all other sites told me they were spot on for measuring enlargement....Thanks ahead, Christine in Oregon.....