Relation of left atrial appendage function to the duration and reversibility of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation

• Published in: The American journal of cardiology Vol. 75; no. 14; pp. 944 - 947
• Main Authors: Mitusch, Rolf, Garbe, Michael, Schmu¨cker, Georg, Schwabe, Kurt, Stierle, Ulrich, Sheikhzadeh, Abdolhamid
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.05.1995; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Aged; Atrial Fibrillation - diagnosis; Atrial Fibrillation - physiopathology; Atrial Function, Left - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood; Blood Flow Velocity; Cardiac arrhythmia; Cardiology. Vascular system; Coronary heart disease; Echocardiography, Transesophageal; Electrocardiography; Female; Heart; Heart Atria - diagnostic imaging; Heart Atria - physiopathology; Humans; Male; Medical research; Medical sciences; Myocardial Contraction; Prognosis; Human; Arrhythmia; Heart disease; Atrial fibrillation; Cardiovascular disease; Duration; Velocity; Excitability disorder; Blood flow
• ISSN: 0002-9149; 1879-1913
• DOI: 10.1016/S0002-9149(99)80695-X

Transesophageal echocardiography provides a tool to assess the functional integrity of the LAA during AF. This is the first study to demonstrate an association between LAA mechanical function and the duration of AF, which can be defined before cardioversion is undertaken. A high level of LAA mechanical function during AF seems to indicate a potential reversibility of the arrhythmia, whereas a low level of LAA outflow velocities is associated with stasis and elevated thromboembolic risk.