title: [Role of echocardiographic assessment of the left atrial appendage in clinical practice].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is known for a long-while that the left atrial appendage is a frequent source of cardiac thrombus formation associated with systemic embolism. Transesophageal echocardiography made it possible to evaluate accurately the left atrial appendage in vivo. Albeit the most important part of transesophageal echocardiographic evaluation of left atrial appendage is the exclusion of thrombi, growing evidence support that several other clinically important informations can be achieved with its detailed ultrasonographic assessment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of authors was to summarize the data available in the literature on the echocardiographic evaluation of left atrial appendage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Beyond transesophageal detection of left atrial appendage thrombus it is possible to assess the anatomic variations, dimensions, prethrombotic states and specific flow patterns of the appendage that may have clinically important diagnostic and prognostic impact.
authors.affiliation: Szegedi Tudományegyetem, Szent-Györgyi Albert Orvos- és Gyógyszerésztudományi Centrum, Altalános Orvostudományi Kar, II. Sz. Belgyógyászati Klinika és Kardiológiai Központ. palinkasa@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Attila
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pálinkás
authors.forename: Zoltán
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jambrik
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Varga
authors.forename: Tamás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Forster
authors.forename: Miklós
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Csanády
mesh_terms: D020517:Atrial Appendage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D018619:Echocardiography, Doppler, Pulsed; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology