Predictors of left atrial appendage thrombogenic milieu in patients subjected to transesophageal echocardiography prior to cardioversion of persistent atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: Evidence of left atrial appendage thrombogenic milieu (LAA TM) on transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is recognized as a surrogate marker for an increased stroke risk. Although the CHA2DS2-VASc scale is commonly used as a measure of thromboembolic risk in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), it was shown to have only low-to-moderate ability to predict the presence of LAA TM. The potential role of transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in the refinement of clinical scales for the detection of LAA TM in patients with AF has been readdressed recently.