Clinical and echocardiographic risk factors for embolization in the presence of left atrial thrombus.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of our study was to evaluate the factors leading to embolization in patients with left atrial thrombi (LAT). With this purpose, we retrospectively analyzed clinical, transthoracic, transesophageal echocardiographic data of patients with LAT in the transesophageal echocardiographic evaluation.


RESULTS
One hundred ninety-two patients with LAT not on anticoagulant therapy were divided into two groups according to the presence of prior ischemic stroke. The group with ischemic stroke included more patients with sinus rhythm and less patients with mitral stenosis. They had smaller left atrial diameter, more left atrial appendage spontaneous echo-contrast, higher appendage ejection fraction, and emptying velocity.


CONCLUSIONS
Once the thrombus has been formed, cerebral embolization seems to be higher in patients with relatively preserved appendage ejection fraction and emptying velocity. Presence of atrial appendage spontaneous echo-contrast also favor embolization. Factors leading to embolization seem to differ in some respects from the causes of thrombus formation.
Kavlak
Ela Sahinbas
ES
Department of Cardiology, Institute of Cardiology, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey. esahinbas@yahoo.com
Kucukoglu
Hayriye
H
Yigit
Zerrin
Z
Okcun
Baris
B
Baran
Turker
T
Ozkan
Alev Arat
AA
Kucukoglu
Serdar
S
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016275:Atrial Function; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002545:Brain Ischemia; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D020766:Intracranial Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012107:Research Design; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke; D013318:Stroke Volume; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014421:Turkey