Left Atrial Wall Calcification after Mitral Valve Replacement: CT Findings and Clinical Significance

atively common finding in the setting of long-standing rheumatic valve disease, first described by Oppenheimer in 1912 (1). It is thought to be promoted by the action of chronic strain forces on atrial walls and repeated attacks of endocarditis, but the condition does not always evolve in the same way and the interatrial septum is not usually involved (1, 2). In many patients, the condition is a not insignificant problem. It increases the difficulty of surgical procedures such as suturing the heavily calcified atrial walls or mobilizing the mitral valve plane. Medically, the characteristics of these patients are rheumatic mitral disease of long duration, the presence of atrial fibrillation and considerable left atrial enlargement, as well as the J Korean Radiol Soc 2002;47:607-613