title: Left atrial appendage function in patients with systemic embolism in spite of in sinus rhythm.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to investigate whether left atrial (LA) appendage (LAA) function was impaired in patients with systemic embolism in sinus rhythm.
  
  
  METHODS
  Transesophageal echocardiography was performed in 7 patients within 5 days after embolism (early group) and in 32 patients, more than 5 days after embolism (late group). We searched intracardiac thrombus and determined LAA area and LAA flow velocity, and the grade of spontaneous echocontrast.
  
  
  RESULTS
  LA thrombus could be detected in 2 of the 39 patients only in early group (P = .028). The patients of early group, as compared with late group, had lower LAA flow velocity (28 +/- 16 vs 60 +/- 26 cm/s, P = .007) and higher grade of spontaneous echocontrast score (1.14 +/- 1.46 vs 0.25 +/- 0.62, P = .013). LA dimension and LAA area were not statistically different.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LAA function may be impaired early after embolism even in sinus rhythm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Hiroshima Prefectural Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan. okafufu@ccv.ne.jp
authors.forename: Mitsunori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Yuichi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Makita
authors.forename: Kenta
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kajihara
authors.forename: Sumie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yamasaki
authors.forename: Akimichi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iwamoto
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sueda
authors.forename: Naoyasu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yoshida
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001146:Arrhythmia, Sinus / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D020517:Atrial Appendage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004617:Embolism / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012849:Sinoatrial Node / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology; D014463:Ultrasonography