Frequency of left atrial and appendage clot in patients with severe mitral stenosis.

Left atrial thrombus is common in patients with mitral stenosis and atrial fibrillation; but how frequent it is in our population? the objective of study was to see the frequency of left atrial and appendage clot on trans-oesophageal echocardiography in symptomatic patients with severe mitral stenosis planned for ptmc. trans-oesophageal echocardiographic data retrieved from computer database cardiology department,lady reading hospital,peshawar from august 1998 to mach 2008. patients admitted for ptmc under went trans-oesophageal echocardiography for detection of left atrial and appendage clot and quantification of mitral regurgitation. data was analyzed on spss. out of 1544 patients,males were 608 (39.4%),females were 936 (60.6%). mean age was 30.84 +/- 12.6. mean age of males was 30.56 +/- 13.1 years and females were 31.02 +/- 12.6 years. minimum age was 8 years and maximum was 76 years. the mean la size was 43.82 +/- 2.12 mm.atrial fibrillation was observed in 289 (18.7%).overall clot was seen in 224 (14.5%) patients. left atrial appendage clot seen in 202 (89.73%).la clot seen in 9 (4.02%). laa/la clot seen in 14 (6.25%). no significant difference was observed for clot among the gender distribution (p=0.42). significant correlation was observed for clot in patients with af and la size > or = 45 mm,(p>0.001). the frequency of left atrial and appendage clots on trans-oesophageal echocardiography in patients with severe mitral stenosis is common and more frequent in patients with af and la size > or = 45 mm.