Left Atrial Appendage: Variations in Morphology and Position Causing Pitfalls in Pediatric Echocardiographic Diagnosis

The left atrial appendage is a complex structure that exhibits great variability in structure and form. Hence, it may masquerade as several other cardiac structures by echocardiography and cause errors in diagnosis. This report critically reviews the pitfalls that result in misinterpretation of normal and abnormal anatomy in a pediatric echocardiogram, and discusses and illustrates potential misdiagnoses and methods to avoid them.