Internal medicine
-
Objective The left atrial appendage (LAA) is one of the major sources of cardiac thrombus formation. Three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) made it possible to perform a detailed evaluation of the LAA morphologies. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical implications of the LAA orifice area. ⋯ In the analysis of atrial fibrillation duration, the LAA orifice area tended to be larger as patients had a longer duration of atrial fibrillation. Conclusion Our findings indicated that a larger LAA orifice area was associated with the presence of atrial fibrillation and high thromboembolic risk based on TEE findings. A continuation of the atrial fibrillation rhythm might lead to the gradual expansion of the LAA orifice.