Dilation of the atria
The content of the article:
- Causes
- Forms
- Signs
- Diagnostics
- Treatment
- Prevention
- Consequences and complications
Atrial dilatation is an expansion of the cavity of the left and (or) right atria while maintaining the normal thickness of the walls that form them. This condition is not an independent disease and is considered as one of the symptoms characteristic of a number of congenital or acquired pathologies of the cardiovascular or respiratory system.
Expansion of the cavity is a sign of atrial dilatation
Causes
The pathological mechanism of development of dilatation of the atria is based on the obstruction of blood flow through the atrioventricular openings, through which the cavities of the ventricles and atria are communicated.
The reason for the expansion of the left atrial cavity is most often the long-term increased pressure in the systemic circulation, due to systematic significant physical exertion. Atrial fibrillation can become another reason for dilatation of the right atrium, although in many cases it develops as a complication of pathological expansion of the heart chamber.
Atrial fibrillation can lead to dilatation of the right atrium
An increase in blood pressure in the pulmonary circulation leads to dilatation of the right atrium, which may be due to the following factors:
- chronic bronchopulmonary diseases, which are characterized by spasm of bronchial muscles;
- congenital and acquired pathologies of the blood vessels of the lungs;
- infectious lesions of the heart muscle;
- pulmonary hypertension;
- congenital or acquired heart defects.
Forms
Depending on the characteristics of the pathogenesis, two forms of atrial dilatation are distinguished:
- tonogenic - develops as a result of an increase in pressure in the atrial cavity due to an increase in their blood supply;
- myogenic - develops under the influence of pathologies of the heart muscle.
Signs
Minor or moderate dilatation of the atria occurs without any clinical symptoms and is usually detected by chance, when conducting an examination for another reason, and in its essence is a diagnostic finding.
The main symptom of atrial dilatation is arrhythmias
A significant expansion of the atria is accompanied by a deterioration in their pumping function, which leads to the appearance of arrhythmias, the development of chronic heart failure. Symptoms:
- violation of the heart rhythm;
- dyspnea;
- increased fatigue;
- swelling of the limbs.
Diagnostics
The main method for diagnosing atrial dilatation is ultrasound examination of the heart. It allows you to assess the volume of the heart chambers, the thickness of the myocardial walls and the peculiarities of their contraction, to identify possible pathology of the pericardium, blood clots in the heart cavities, signs of damage to the valve apparatus. The data obtained during the study are compared with the norm, taking into account the height and weight of the patient. The diagnosis of dilatation is made when the volume of one or more chambers of the heart is increased by more than 5%.
The main method for diagnosing atrial dilatation is ultrasound of the heart
Other instrumental methods are used in the diagnosis of atrial dilatation:
- electrocardiography. It allows you to identify violations of the rhythm of contractions, as well as to carry out differential diagnosis between expansion of the atria and other heart diseases;
- radiography. Signs of dilatation are cardiomegaly (an increase in the size of the heart shadow), a spherical shape of the heart, symptoms of pulmonary hypertension, expansion of the roots of the lungs;
- angiocoronary angiography. It allows you to clarify the structural features of the heart, usually performed in order to choose the tactics of surgical treatment.
Atrial dilatation requires differential diagnosis with hereditary cardiomyopathies, myocarditis, ischemic disease, congenital and acquired heart defects, and dissecting aneurysms.
Treatment
In many cases, it is not possible to identify the cause that caused the development of atrial dilatation, and therefore treatment is aimed at combating chronic heart failure. For this purpose, patients are prescribed:
- diuretics;
- beta-blockers;
- antiarrhythmic drugs;
- ACE inhibitors;
- cardiac glycosides;
- antiplatelet agents.
With the ineffectiveness of conservative therapy for atrial dilatation and the increase in symptoms of chronic heart failure, the issue of surgical treatment is being resolved. It consists in installing a pacemaker that improves hemodynamic processes.
Installation of a pacemaker is indicated for ineffective conservative therapy of atrial dilatation
For severe heart failure, heart transplant is the only treatment. However, this operation is extremely rare due to the high cost and complexity.
Prevention
Prevention of the development of atrial dilatation consists in measures aimed at preventing the development of diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. These include:
- balanced diet;
- cessation of alcohol abuse and smoking;
- observance of the regime of work and rest;
- regular moderate physical activity.
Consequences and complications
If the cause of the dilatation of the atria can be eliminated, then their volume may gradually decrease and return to normal values. In all other cases, the chambers of the heart gradually increase in volume, which leads to increasing heart failure.
Elena Minkina Doctor anesthesiologist-resuscitator About the author
Education: graduated from the Tashkent State Medical Institute, specializing in general medicine in 1991. Repeatedly passed refresher courses.
Work experience: anesthesiologist-resuscitator of the city maternity complex, resuscitator of the hemodialysis department.
The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!
