Missed Connections: Identification of Atrial Septal Defect by MRI

Abstract

In this case report, we describe a 55-year-old female patient with worsening exertional dyspnea who is referred to the cardiology department, due to the appearance of worsening pulmonary vascular disease on computed tomography (CT) of the chest. Previous transthoracic echocardiograms (TTE) identified right ventricle enlargement, but no other structural abnormalities. She completed cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging, which identified a large secundum atrial septal defect (ASD). She subsequently underwent surgical planning and correction of the lesion with improvement of her symptoms. This case and a growing body of literature support the use of CMR as an alternative imaging modality for the diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD).