title: [Left atrial thrombus. Its evolution with oral anticoagulation].
abstract: Left ventricular thrombi were found in 25 patients by two-dimensional echocardiography. All patients were in atrial fibrillation, 16 had mitral or mitroaortic valve diseases and nine mitral or mitroaortic bioprosthetic valves. Nine patients (36%) had history of arterial embolism. At diagnostic time, oral anticoagulation with coumadin was instaured in all the patients. Periodic clinic and echocardiography follow-up was performed. Left atrial thrombi either disappeared (18 patients [72%]) or reduced their size (one patient). Six patients with mitral stenosis were considered as candidates to percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty, which was performed in 4 patients whose thrombi disappeared with anticoagulation therapy in 6 months. During the follow-up one patient had cerebral embolism without sequelae.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  1st. Patients with left atrial thrombi have high risk for arterial embolism. 2nd. Left atrial thrombi disappear in a high proportion after prescribing oral anticoagulation, which has some important therapeutic implications.
authors.affiliation: Unidad Médico Quirúrgica de Cardiología, Hospital La Paz, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autónoma, Madrid.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sobrino
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Centeno
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Maté
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Mesa
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Oliver
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Silvestre
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Domínguez
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sobrino
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rico
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rubiano
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D001021:Aortic Valve; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D003374:Coumarins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D004452:Echocardiography; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000150:complications; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008943:Mitral Valve; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D003374:Coumarins
vernacular_title: Trombo auricular izquierdo. Evolución con anticoagulación oral.