The Assessment of Left Atrial Spontaneous Echocontrast by Transesophageal Echocardiography

The assessment of left atrial spontaneous echocontrast (SEC) by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) and the correlation of SEC with left atrial width (LAW), mitral valve area (MVA), atrial fibrillation (AF), left atrial thrombus (LAT) and thromboembolic complications (TEC) were studied in 70 patients (pts) with rheumatic mitral valve disease by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and TEE. In 23 (33 %) of 70 pts SEC was detected (SEC [+]pts). The remaining 47 (67 %) pts without SEC were designated as SEC [-] pts). LAW mean value was 59±16 mm in SEC (+) and 49±4 mm in SEC (-) pts (p<0.05). MVA mean value was 1±0.3 cm2 in SEC ( +) and 1.5 ±05cm2 in SEC (-) pts (p<0.01). AF was found in 20 pts (8 %) in SEC (+) and 7 pts (14 %) in SEC (-) groups (p<0.0001). LAT was found in 11 pts (48 %) in SEC (+)and in 1 pts (2 %) in SEC (-) groups (p<0.0001). Ten (14 %) of 70 pts TECs. SEC was detected in 6 (60%) of 10 pts with TEC and in 17 (28 %) of 60 pts without TEC (p<0.05). Thus, in the group in which SEC was detected by TEE, LAW mean value, the incidence of AF and LAT were significantly high, and MVA mean value was significantly low. SEC was also found significantly high among the pts with TECs.