Congenital absence of left atrial appendage in a patient with ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation

Abstract

Left atrial appendage (LAA) is a finger-like muscular extension of the left atrium, and it is the most prominent site for cardiac thrombus in patients with atrial fibrillation. Congenital absence of LAA could be incidentally detected in patient with ischemic stroke and atrial fibrillation. Although it is considered to be an extremely rare cardiac anomaly, its clinical significance remains unknown and there is no clear consensus in the management strategy in those patients. Therefore, we report a case of an incidentally noted congenital absence of LAA in a 68-year-old woman being planned for LAA closure.