ELAT study (embolism in left atrial thrombi): baseline clinical and echocardiographic data.

By transesophageal echocardiography, the prevalence of left atrial/appendage thrombi and spontaneous echo contrast and the size of the left atrial appendage and their association with clinical and echocardiographic characteristics were evaluated in 409 nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation outpatients (62 +/- 12 years) without recent (< 1 year) embolism. Left atrial/appendage thrombi (2.5%) were associated with diabetes (p < 0.05), heart failure (p < 0.05) and low fractional shortening (p < 0.001); spontaneous echo contrast (12%) with advanced age (p < 0.01), constant atrial fibrillation (p < 0.01), hypertension (p < 0.01), heart failure (p < 0.05), valvular abnormalities (p < 0.01) and large left atrial diameter (p < 0.01), and large left atrial appendages with constant atrial fibrillation (p < 0.05), diabetes (p < 0.05) and valvular abnormalities (p < 0.05).