title: [Relationship between echocardiographic measurement of left atrial size and the incidence of systemic embolism in mitral stenosis].
abstract: In order to correlate left atrial diameter (LAD) with the prevalence of systemic embolism (SE) in mitral stenosis (MS), we assessed LAD by M mode tracings in 51 patients with SE and in 50 patients with MS without ES as control group (C). Mean age was similar in both groups (SE 47.3 +/- 12 vs C 46.8 +/- 14 years; p NS) (mean +/- SD). Functional class, cardiothoracic ratio and association of other valvular lesions were similar in both groups. Atrial fibrillation (AF) was more frequent in SE group (n = 39) than in C group (n = 20) (p less than 0.01). LAD in SE patients ranged from 2.9 to 9 cm (5.2 +/- 1) whereas in C patients range was from 2.8 to 7.5 (4.6 +/- 1) (p less than 0.01). Nevertheless, LAD in patients with AF was rather similar in both groups (SE 5.3 +/- 1.1 vs C 5.3 +/- 1; p NS). Our results suggest that LAD is not a good predictive parameter for SE in MS. The main risk factor for SE was the existence of AF. Echocardiographic LAD is not a useful parameter to prescribe chronic oral anticoagulation as prophylaxis for SE in patients with MS.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Albarrán
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Sanz Julve
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arribas
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gómez Pajuelo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: López Gil
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: García-Cosío
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004452:Echocardiography; D004617:Embolism / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000150:complications*
vernacular_title: Relación entre el tamaño ecocardiográfico auricular izquierdo con la incidencia de embolia sistémica en la estenosis mitral.