Ventricular septal aneurysms in adults: findings of cardiac CT images and correlation with clinical features.

BACKGROUND

With the increasing use of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), the number of incidentally detected ventricular septal aneurysms (VSAs) in adults has increased. However, to date, there are not sufficient well-organized data regarding VSAs in adults on MDCT.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the CT findings of ventricular septal aneurysms (VSAs) in adults and correlate the findings with clinical features.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of the cardiac CT reports in our electronic database of 3402 patients who underwent ECG-gated cardiac CT scans using a 64-slice multidetector CT or dual-source CT from October 2006 to December 2009 at our institute. Among them, eight patients were diagnosed with a VSA. We evaluated the location, size, and morphology of VSAs on cardiac CT angiographies (CCTAs) and correlated the findings with the clinical features of the patients.

RESULTS

On CCTAs, all eight patients were found to have VSAs in the membranous portion of the interventricular septum and toward the right ventricle. The VSAs were 10-22 mm at their longest diameter and had wide necks. The VSAs were lobulated along the outer margin and were incidental findings in all patients. Four of the eight patients had a conduction abnormality such as first-degree atrio-ventricular block or incomplete right bundle branch block seen on ECG, whereas the other four patients had normal ECGs.

CONCLUSION

VSA in adults is usually detected incidentally. It is seen in the membranous portion of the interventricular septum with a lobulated shape on CCTA. It is occasionally associated with a conduction anomaly.