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An aneurysm of the left atrial appendage is an extremely rare anomaly that is commonly associated with supraventricular arrhythmia, compression of the coronary arteries, intracardiac thrombus and pulmonary venous stenosis. This condition may be caused by congenital dysplasia of the musculi pectinati and is usually diagnosed in the second to fourth decades of life. We report the surgical management of an asymptomatic 9-year old girl with this anomaly. She was referred to us because of abnormal chest X-ray findings, and investigation revealed an aneurysm of the left atrial appendage. As this condition may have potentially fatal complications, the aneurysm was completely resected under cardiac arrest with cardiopulmonary bypass to prevent recurrence and thrombus formation. We suggest that resection of an aneurysm of the left atrial appendage under cardiac arrest with cardiopulmonary bypass is a reasonable treatment option to prevent potential complications, particularly in children.

Highlight Ogura and colleagues present a novel electrocautery dilation device for endoscopic ultrasound‐guided procedures. The distal end of the outer dilator contains a 3‐Fr metal tip, allowing a smaller burning effect than with conventional devices. This novel device may have clinical impact for endoscopic ultrasound‐guided procedures as tract dilation device.

Cardiac surgery was effective in prolonging survival by managing high pulmonary blood flow; however, the indication for surgery should be carefully considered on a case-by-case basis, because the risk of sudden death remains even after surgery. Patients' families should be provided with sufficient information to make decisions that will optimise the quality of life for both patients and their families.