Diagnostic importance of fibrillatory wave amplitude: a clue to echocardiographic left atrial size and etiology of atrial fibrillation.
The electrocardiographic fibrillatory wave amplitude in 148 patients with atrial fibrillation was measured. To assess its diagnostic importance in relation to the left atrial size and underlying etiology, M-mode echocardiography was performed on 89 patients. The patients are classified according to the type of atrial fibrillation (paroxysmal or chronic), the f wave amplitude (coarse or fine), and the underlying etiology (rheumatic or nonrheumatic). The average fibrillatory f wave amplitude and echocardiographic left atrial size in chronic and rheumatic atrial fibrillation are significantly greater than in paroxysmal and chronic nonrheumatic patients. Furthermore, the fibrillatory f wave amplitude correlates strongly with the echocardiographic left atrial size.
Aysha
M H
MH
Medical Department, Al-Jahra Hospital, Kuwait.
Hassan
A S
AS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology*; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000150:complications; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000473:pathology*; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged