Association of aortic atherosclerosis and renal dysfunction.

Background: Both aortic atherosclerosis (AA) and renal dysfunction are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. We sought to assess the association between AA and renal dysfunction.

Methods: The study consisted of 200 consecutive patients (62% were male, mean age 69 +/- 11 years) who underwent transesophageal echocardiography.

What is the best approach for the assessment of left atrial size? Comparison of various unidimensional and two-dimensional parameters with three-dimensional echocardiographically determined left atrial volume.

Background: Left atrial (LA) size has prognostic importance in a variety of cardiac conditions. Diameters, area, or volume derived from 2-dimensional (2D) echocardiography (2DE) are commonly used to measure LA size, but involve numerous assumptions. This study examined the accuracy of these 2DE parameters compared to 3-dimensional echocardiographic LA volume (3DV).