Predictors of left atrial spontaneous echo contrast and thrombi in patients with mitral stenosis and atrial fibrillation

The purpose of this study was to investigate the independent factors associated with the presence of left atrial (LA) spontaneous echo contrast (SEC) and thromboembolic events in patients with mitral stenosis (MS) in chronic atrial fibrillation (AF). Factors independently associated with LASEC, thrombi, and embolic events have been mainly investigated in patients with nonvalvular AF or inhomogeneous populations with rheumatic heart disease. Transesophageal and transthoracic echo studies were performed in 129 patients with MS in chronic AF. Previous embolic events were documented in 45 patients, 20 of them within 6 months, and 65 patients were receiving long-term anticoagulation. The intensity of LASEC and mitral regurgitation, the presence of thrombi and active LA appendage flow (peak velocities > or = 20 cm/s), and LA volume as well as other conventional echo-Doppler determinations were investigated in every patient. The prevalences of significant LASEC (degrees 3+ and 4+), thrombus, active LA appendage flow, and significant mitral regurgitation (>2+) were: 52% (67 patients), 29.5% (38 patients), 32% (41 patients), and 36% (47 patients), respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that decreasing mitral regurgitation severity, absence of active LA appendage flow, and mitral valve area were the independent correlates of LASEC (odds ratio [OR] 3.7, 5.4, and 0.17, respectively; all p <0.02). Active LA appendage flow and anticoagulant therapy were associated negatively, whereas the severity of LASEC was associated positively with the finding of LA thrombus (OR 9.6, 3.9, and 1.6, respectively; all p <0.05). The intensity of LASEC and previous anticoagulant therapy (OR 1.74 and 4.5, respectively; p <0.005) were the independent covariates of thrombi and/or recent embolic events. In conclusion, the severity of mitral regurgitation and lack of active LA appendage flow were, respectively, the strongest independent correlates of significant LASEC and thrombus in patients with MS in chronic AF. LASEC remains the cardiac factor most strongly associated with thrombus and/or recent embolic events in these patients.