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Echocardiographic Evaluation of Atrial Communications before Transcatheter Closure
Published on: February 8, 2022
Echocardiographic evaluation of left atrial size and function: current understanding, pathophysiologic correlates,
Dominic Y Leung1, Anita Boyd, Arnold A Ng
1Liverpool Hospital, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
American Heart Journal
|November 27, 2008
Summary
Left atrial (LA) volume is a potential biomarker for heart and cerebrovascular diseases. This review explores echocardiographic methods to assess LA size and function, clarifying its prognostic value.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Echocardiography
- Biomarkers
Background:
- Left atrial (LA) volume is recognized as a potential biomarker for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.
- The prognostic implications of LA volume require further clarification.
- Assessing LA size and function via echocardiography is feasible in routine clinical practice.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review conventional and novel echocardiographic parameters for evaluating LA size and function.
- To discuss the clinical relevance and implications of an enlarged left atrium based on current literature.
Main Methods:
- Discussion of conventional echocardiographic parameters: atrial volume, transmitral Doppler peak A velocity, atrial fraction, and atrial ejection force.
- Exploration of newer echocardiographic techniques: Doppler tissue imaging (DTI), including segmental atrial function assessment, strain, and strain rate.
Main Results:
- Conventional methods provide insights into phasic atrial activity and function.
- Advanced DTI techniques offer detailed assessment of atrial mechanics, including segmental function, strain, and strain rate.
- An enlarged left atrium is associated with various clinical implications.
Conclusions:
- Echocardiography offers a range of parameters to evaluate left atrial size and function.
- Understanding these parameters is crucial for assessing cardiac and cerebrovascular risk.
- Further research is needed to fully elucidate the prognostic power of LA volume.
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