title: Echocardiographic evidences of increased left ventricular pressure and atrial dilatation in patients with drug-resistant paroxystic atrial fibrillation and structurally normal heart.
abstract: Global myocardial index (GMI) has been significantly related to left ventricular filling pressure. We hypothesized that GMI and echographic indicators of atrial dilatation were significantly different in pAF pts compared to normals.
  
  
  METHODS
  39 patients (pts) without structural heart disease, aged 52+/-10 years with pAF were compared to 36 control-matched pts aged 48+/-16 years. Following parameters were assessed: P-wave duration (Pd), GMI, left atrial dimensions (LAd=M-mode, parasternal, LAt and LAI are measurements of short and long-axis apical four chamber view), surface (LAs), volume (LAv), total ejection fraction (LA EF), right atrial dimension (RAd) and surface (RAs), total atrial surface (TAs=LAs+RAs). LAv was calculated using ellipse formula pi/6 (LAdxLAlxLAt).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no difference between the 2 groups concerning Pd (p=0.1), LA EF (p=0.23), LAd (p=0.08) and LAt (p=0.06) while the rest of the parameters were significantly higher in pAF pts: GMI: 0.5+/-0.17 vs 0.36+/-0.06 (p=0.001); LAI: 5.4+/-0.5 vs 4.5+/-0.3 cm2 (p=0.001); LAs was founded increased in pAF pts (20.6+/-5.7 vs 16.3+/-2.1 cm2, p=0.001); TAs: 40.6+/-6.9 vs 30.6+/-5.1 cm2, p=0.0001; LAv: 51.6+/-10.4 vs 37.2+/-9.3 ml (p=0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although apparently without structural heart disease, pAF pts presented evidence of increased filling pressions in left ventricle and indirect markers of atrial stretch. The role of increased intra-atrial pressure in pts pFA and predictive value of these parameters need to be evaluated in a larger number of patients.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular Medicine, Timişoara, Romania.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cozma
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pescariu
authors.forename: C T
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Luca
authors.forename: Adina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ionac
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lighezan
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Petrescu
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Drăgulescu
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012044:Regression Analysis; D017725:Ventricular Pressure / Q000502:physiology*