Correspondence to: Allan L Klein MD, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, 9500 Euclid Avenue, Desk F15, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; [email protected] _________________________ A trial fibrillation (AF) is the most commonly encountered arrhythmia in clinical practice. Recent advances in technology and in the understanding of the pathophysiology of AF have led to more de...

Device based closure of the left atrial appendage (LAA) has emerged as a viable approach for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with contraindications to chronic oral anticoagulation. One of the most feared complications is device related thrombus formation. We present a 66-year-old male with chronic AF who developed a life-threatening intracranial bleed on oral anti-coagula...

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is he most commonly encountered arrhythmia in clinical practice, with an overall prevalence of 0.4% in the general population. Recent advances in technology and in the understanding of the pathophysiology of AF have led to more definitive and potentially curative therapeutic approaches. Echocardiography has a well-established role in the assessment of cardiac structure ...

BACKGROUND Thromboembolic risk in permanent atrial fibrillation (AF) is strongly associated with the underlying etiology, and inflammatory parameters may contribute. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship of hs-CRP and BNP levels with left and right atrial appendage (LAA and RAA) function, presence of spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) and thrombus. MATERIAL/METHODS Eighty-four ...

OBJECTIVES This study sought to determine the incidence of incomplete ligation of the left atrial appendage (LAA) during mitral valve surgery. BACKGROUND Ligation of the LAA to prevent future thromboembolic events is commonly performed during mitral surgery. However, success in completely excluding the appendage from the circulation has never been systematically assessed. METHODS Using tran...

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a commonly sustained atrial arrhythmia with associated morbidity and mortality. AF is associated with increased risk of thromboembolism and stroke, requiring use of anticoagulation. Anticoagulation decreases the risk of stroke but is associated with a higher risk of bleeding, necessitating discontinuation in some patients. The left atrial appendage is the likely sour...

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atrial fibrillation is the most prevalent permanent arrhythmia. it may be associated with other cardiac pathologies which need surgical treatment. various types of surgery including the traditional cut-sew operations and operations using different energy sources are currently in use. in comparison with medical treatment, surgery is safe, effective, and has reliable results.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE A noninvasive method with high reliability and accuracy comparable to transesophageal echocardiography for identification of left atrial appendage thrombus would be of significant clinical value. The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of a dual-enhanced cardiac CT protocol for detection of left atrial appendage thrombi and for differentiation betwe...