A total of 115 patients with nonrheumatic atrial fribrillation (AF) were studied to determine the clinical and echocardiographic (ECHO) factors of systemic embolization. Twenty-five patients had a history of emboli and the remaining did not. Clinical factors did not distinguish between the two groups. ECHO factors that separated the patients with emboli from those without were: the percentage of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), 16 (64%) vs 17 (19%) (p<0.001); left atrial (LA) dimension, 47±8 (SD) mm vs 43±8 mm (p<0.05); and the percentage of LA dimension of greater than 45 mm, 17 (68%) vs 30 (33%) (p<0.01). Thus, these findings suggest that LVH may be helpful as an indicator of systemic embolization in patients of nonrheumatic AF.
A total of 115 patients with nonrheumatic atrial fribrillation (AF) were studied to determine the clinical and echocardiographic (ECHO) factors of systemic embolization. Twenty-five patients had a history of emboli and the remaining did not. Clinical factors did not distinguish between the two groups. ECHO factors that separated the patients with emboli from those without were: the percentage of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), 16 (64%) vs 17 (19%) (p<0.001); left atrial (LA) dimension, 47±8 (SD) mm vs 43±8 mm (p<0.05); and the percentage of LA dimension of greater than 45 mm, 17 (68%) vs 30 (33%) (p<0.01). Thus, these findings suggest that LVH may be helpful as an indicator of systemic embolization in patients of nonrheumatic AF.