[Atrial fibrillation]

Abstract

The aim of transesophageal echocardiography (TOE) in atrial fibrillation milieu is to search a cardiac chamber thrombus. In order to establish the indications of TOE and to raise new issues for the echographic prognosis of maintain of sinus rhythm, 40 patients with atrial fibrillation who underwent cardioversion were prospectively screened. All patients had transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography before procedure to control the absence or disappearing of atrial thrombus (N = 7). All 40 patients underwent a successful cardioversion. Follow-up was done after one, three and six months for both success group (N = 28) and refibrillation group (N = 12). Our study provides evidence that the only predictive echographic factor of maintain of a good result (sinus rhythm) after cardioversion was a systolic velocity peak > 0.25 metir/sec.