[Detection and morphofunctional predictors of left auricular thrombosis in patients with atrial fibrillation].

Atrial fibrillation significantly worsens quality and duration of patient's life because of frequent development of thromboembolic complications. The main cause of these complications is formation of intracardiac thrombosis. Prevalence of left atrial thrombosis in patients with atrial fibrillation varies from 8 to 24%. About 90% of thromboses are localized in left auricle. This paper contains review of different methods of detection of left auricular thrombosis. Main structural and functional predictors of thrombosis and possibilities of modern techniques of their visualization are also described. Different methods of echocardiography first of all transesophageal echocardiography are at present foremost in assessment of structural and functional predictors of thrombosis development. With the help of transesophageal echocardiography it is possible to accomplish functional monitoring of the state of left auricle during treatment with different drugs and/or after cardioversion. Detection of risk factors of left auricular thrombosis is an important clinical task because it allows to select a group of high risk patients in which long-term therapy with anticoagulants is indicated.