Left atrial appendage function in patients with systemic embolism in spite of in sinus rhythm

• Published in: Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography Vol. 19; no. 2; p. 211
• Main Authors: Okamoto, Mitsunori, Fujii, Yuichi, Makita, Yuko, Kajihara, Kenta, Yamasaki, Sumie, Iwamoto, Akimichi, Hashimoto, Masaki, Sueda, Takashi, Yoshida, Naoyasu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.02.2006
• Subjects: Aged; Arrhythmia, Sinus - complications; Arrhythmia, Sinus - diagnostic imaging; Atrial Appendage - diagnostic imaging; Atrial Fibrillation - diagnostic imaging; Embolism - complications; Embolism - diagnostic imaging; Female; Heart Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Heart Diseases - etiology; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Sinoatrial Node - diagnostic imaging; Thrombosis - diagnostic imaging; Thrombosis - etiology; Ultrasonography
• ISSN: 1097-6795
• DOI: 10.1016/j.echo.2005.08.008

We sought to investigate whether left atrial (LA) appendage (LAA) function was impaired in patients with systemic embolism in sinus rhythm. 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. 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. LAA function may be impaired early after embolism even in sinus rhythm.