Badar-ul Ahad Gill, Tariq Abbas, Rehan-ul Haq, Bilal Ahsan Qureshi, Kashif Ali Hashmi, Ijaz Ahmed, Amna Javaid.
Frequency of left atrial thrombus in patients of mitral stenosis suitable for percutaneous trans-septal mitral commissurotomy.
Pak Heart J Jan ;48(1):48-51.

Objective: To determine frequency of left atrial thrombus in patients of mitral stenosis suitable for percutaneous trans-septal mitral commissurotomy. Methodology: It was a Descriptive cross sectional study conducted in the Outpatient Department of Chaudary Pervaiz Elahi Institute of Cardiology, Multan from April 2012 to October 2012. Ninty Five patients of tight mitral stenosis 2 (Mitral valve area <= 1cm and mean transvalvular gradient > 10 mm Hg) having sinus rhythm suitable for PTMC (as assessed on trans-thoracic echocardiography) were included in the study. Trans esophageal echocardiography was performed for the presence or absence of left atrial thrombus . Results: Out of 95 patients, male were 37.9% while female were 62.1%. Mean age of the patients was 26.88 +- 6.76 years. Left atrial thrombus was identified in 8 (8.4%) patients. In age <= 25 years, there were 42 patients and 4(9.5%) were diagnosed to have left atrial thrombus while in age > 25 years, there were 53 patients and 4(7.5%) patients had left atrial thrombus on trans-esophageal echocardiography. Among 59 females, left atrial thrombus was diagnosed in 5 (8.4%), while in 36 males, left atrial thrombus was diagnosed in 3(8.3%)patients. Conclusion: Left atrial thrombus occurs in a significant proportion of patients with mitral stenosis and a normal sinus rhythm and thus should be monitored routinely with trans-esophageal echocardiography in patients who are planned to undergo percutaneous trans-septal mitral commissurotomy.

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