[Pulmonary venous flow in atrial fibrillation evaluated by transesophageal Doppler echocardiography]

Pulmonary venous flow (PVF) can be recorded by transesophageal echocardiography. In normal subjects the PVF is triphasic with 2 peaks in systole and 1 peak in diastole. At atrial contraction it is possible to record a reversal flow (A wave). The evaluation of PVF pattern in patients in atrial fibrillation can better explain the role of atrial contraction. We considered 18 patients with chronic atrial fibrillation with transesophageal Doppler echocardiography. Then we compared the pattern obtained from patients with atrial fibrillation with the normal pattern. During atrial fibrillation we observed a flow reversal during early systolic period. The diastolic wave was increased and prolonged. We also observed that the A wave seems to disappear. The loss of atrial contraction deeply modifies the Doppler PVF.