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Catheter Ablation in Combination With Left Atrial Appendage Closure for Atrial Fibrillation
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Published on: February 26, 2013

Rheumatic lesions in left atrial appendages; pathologic studies of material removed during mitral commissurotomy

L J TRAGERMAN, C L CORLEY

    California Medicine
    |March 1, 1955
    PubMed

    Insights

    Rheumatic lesions, including Aschoff bodies, were found in the left atrial appendage of nearly 36% of patients undergoing mitral valve surgery. However, these pathological findings did not correlate with clinical rheumatic activity post-surgery.

    Area of Science:

    • Cardiovascular Pathology
    • Rheumatic Heart Disease

    Background:

    • Rheumatic heart disease remains a significant global health concern.
    • The left atrial appendage (LAA) is a potential site for rheumatic lesions.
    • Understanding rheumatic activity in the LAA is crucial for patient management.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the prevalence of rheumatic lesions in the LAA.
    • To assess the correlation between pathological findings in the LAA and clinical rheumatic activity post-mitral valve surgery.

    Main Methods:

    • Histopathological examination of 128 incidentally removed LAA specimens from patients undergoing mitral valve commissurotomy.
    • Clinical follow-up of 53 patients to assess for postoperative rheumatic activity.

    Main Results:

    • Endocardial Aschoff bodies, indicative of active rheumatic disease, were identified in 35.9% of the LAA specimens.
    • Only 8 out of 53 patients (15.1%) showed clinical evidence of postoperative rheumatic activity.
    • None of the patients with clinical rheumatic activity had Aschoff bodies detected in their LAA pathology.

    Conclusions:

    • The presence of Aschoff bodies in the LAA may not accurately predict clinical rheumatic activity after mitral valve surgery.
    • Further research is needed to understand the role of the LAA in rheumatic heart disease progression and its clinical implications.
    Keywords:
    MYOCARDIUM/pathologyRHEUMATIC HEART DISEASE/pathology

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