title: [A retrospective study of a population with intermittent atrial fibrillation].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyse a population with intermittent atrial fibrillation, comparing the clinical characteristics of patients with the idiopathic form with those with structural pathology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intermittent atrial fibrillation retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Arrhythmology outpatients clinic of the cardiac department.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective study of a population of 59 patients with intermittent atrial fibrillation referred to the arrhythmology outpatients clinic of the cardiac department. Forty patients were male and nineteen female with a mean age of 51 +/- 13 years. Idiopathic atrial fibrillation group with 18 patients was compared with the 41 patients group with identifiable pathology. Atrial fibrillation was recognised by 12 lead ECG and 24 hours ambulatory Holter monitoring. Clinical and echocardiographic parameters were analysed. Complications and the efficacy of anti-arrhythmic therapy were referred.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the studied population, mean age at the identification of atrial fibrillation was lower in the idiopathic group than in the group with identifiable pathology. It was 36 +/- 12 years in the first group and 45.2 +/- 13 in the second. Left atrium dimension was 38.1 +/- 4 mm in the first group and 42.5 +/- 9 mm in the second (p = 0.04). In the group with mitral valvulopathy, left atrium dimension was 45.5 +/- 11 mm, also significantly different from patients with the idiopathic form (p = 0.012). Statistically significative difference between those groups was not found for left ventricular end-diastolic dimension and shortening fraction. Mean follow-up was 3 years with a range between 7 months and 10 years. Effective therapeutic control was obtained in 35 of 59 patients (59.3%). Six were from the idiopathic group (33.3%) and 29 from the group with identifiable pathology (70.7%). Control was not reached or was only partial in 24 patients (40.7%), belonging 66.7% to the first group and 29.3% to the second (p = 0.016). No embolic phenomenon was documented in the idiopathic not anti-coagulated group. Four embolic complications (9.8%) were observed in the group of identified pathology. Three of then were related with mitral valvulopathy and were submitted to effective anti-coagulation therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with idiopathic intermittent atrial fibrillation are younger, with smaller left atrium dimension (mainly in relation to those with mitral valve disease) but are more resistant to anti-arrhythmic therapy. They have a trend to less thromboembolic complications and anti-coagulation is probably not justified.
authors.affiliation: Serviço de Cardiologia, Hospital de Santa Cruz, Carnaxide.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brízida
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Falcão
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bonhorst
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Seabra-Gomes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011174:Portugal / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies
vernacular_title: Estudo retrospectivo de uma população com fibrilhação auricular intermitente.