title: Relationship of atrial fibrillatory wave amplitude to left atrial size and etiology of heart disease. An old generalization re-examined.
abstract: It is commonly stated that coarse f waves in atrial fibrillation suggest the presence of rheumatic heart disease and large left atrial size, whereas fine f waves indicate non-rheumatic disease and small left atrial size. Using echocardiography as a more reliable indicator of left atrial size, 37 consecutive patients with chronic atrial fibrillation were evaluated. The correlation coefficients between left atrial size and maximum f wave amplitude was -0.12 and -0.07, using average f wave amplitude. Only 53 per cent (9 of 17) of patients with rheumatic heart disease had f wave greater than 1 mm. and 56 per cent (10 of 18) of patients with f wave size less than or equal to 1 mm. had non-rheumatic disease. This study refutes the contention that the f wave amplitude in atrial fibrillation is correlated with either left atrial size or etiology of heart disease. It is possible that an intra-atrial conduction defect is responsible for coarse f wave morphology.
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002306:Cardiac Volume; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D009202:Cardiomyopathies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D012214:Rheumatic Heart Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology