Correlation between left atrial appendage morphology based on fractal dimension quantification and its hemodynamic parameters in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Aims: To investigate the relationship between left atrial appendage (LAA) morphology, quantified based on fractal dimension (FD), and LAA hemodynamic parameters in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), in an effort to reveal the effect of LAA shape on blood flow.

Materials And Methods: 225 patients with AF who underwent cardiac computed tomography angiography (CTA) and transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) were enrolled. LAA morphology was quantified based on FD on cardiac CTA images, and LAA hemodynamic parameters, including injection fraction (EF), filling peak flow velocity (FV), maximum speed of emptying (PEV), and wall motion velocity (WMV), were assessed using TEE.

Results: We divided the patients with AF into two groups based on a mean LAA FD of 1.32: the low FD group (n=124) and the high FD group (n=101). Compared to the low FD group, there were more patients with LAA circulatory stasis/thrombus (P=0.008) in the high FD group, as well as lower LAA FV (P=0.004), LAA PEV (P=0.007), and LAA WMV (P=0.007). LAA FD was an independent and significant determinant of LAA EF (β = -11.755, P=0.001), LAA FV (β = -17.364, P=0.004), LAA PEV (β = -18.743, P<0.001), and LAA WMV (β = -7.740, P=0.001) in multiple linear regression analysis.

Conclusions: LAA FD is an essential determinant of LAA hemodynamic parameters, suggesting that the relatively complex morphology of the LAA may influence its hemodynamics, which can correlate with embolic events.