Resolution of left atrial thrombi with anticoagulant therapy in candidates for percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy.

Background And Aims Of The Study: Little is known of the fate of left atrial thrombus (LAT) among candidates for percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) after oral anticoagulation (OA) therapy. The aim of this study was to estimate the resolution rate of documented LAT, and to determine its significant predictors among this population.

Methods: In this prospective cohort study all consecutive candidates for PTMC with documented LAT were followed between August 1996 and December 1999.

A prognostic model for predicting the disappearance of left atrial thrombi among candidates for percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy.

Objectives: We sought to develop a prognostic model to predict the disappearance of left atrial thrombi (LAT) among candidates for percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC).

Background: Complete LAT resolution can be achieved with oral anticoagulation, allowing a number of patients to safely undergo PTMC.

Methods: We randomly allocated 108 PTMC candidates with LAT into two subsets---one to derive the model and the other to validate it.