When not everything is what it seems… Extra-cardiac mass in the left atrium: a case report in Uruguay

Abstract

Hiatal hernia is a relatively common entity, and may be an incidental finding in an echocardiographic study. We describe the case of a patient with a diagnosis of a mass in the left atrium with no clear etiology, in whom the diagnosis of hiatal hernia is made by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging and then demonstrated by contrast echocardiography the gastric content of the mass after the ingestion of a carbonated drink, which allows quickly and easily to clarify the diagnosis.