A 64-slice multi-detector CT scan could evaluate the change of the left atrial appendage thrombi of the atrial fibrillation patient, which was reduced by warfarin therapy.
Curable cause of stroke is the left atrial appendage (LAA) thrombi of atrial fibrillation (AF) patients. Some AF patients have the LAA thrombi. It is very important to cure AF patients by warfarin. Transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE) is the usual clinical tool to detect the LAA thrombi. Recently, a 64-slice multi-detector CT (64-MDCT) scan enables us to display the LAA thrombi more easily than TOE. I reported a case that a 64-MDCT scan had been used successfully in displaying the change of the LAA thrombi reduced by warfarin therapy. The size of the LAA thrombi was reduced from 25.2 mm × 19.3 mm (figure 1) to 22.1 mm × 14.8 mm (figure 2) after the 3-month warfarin therapy. It was useful to estimate the LAA thrombi by a 64-MDCT scan to estimate LAA thrombi itself and the change of LAA thrombi to evaluate the effectiveness of warfarin therapy.
Department of Cardiovascular Division, Higashi-Osaka Hospital, Osaka, Japan. takeuch-h@r8.dion.ne.jp
Hidekazu
H
Takeuchi
D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020517:Atrial Appendage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003328:Coronary Thrombosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019934:International Normalized Ratio; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014859:Warfarin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000925:Anticoagulants; D014859:Warfarin