American Heart Journal
Volume 147, Issue 2 , Pages 195-196 , February 2004

Left atrial size: renewed interest in an old echocardiographic measurement

  • John S Gottdiener, MD

      Affiliations

    • Division of Cardiology, St Francis Hospital, State University of New York School of Medicine at Stony Brook, St Francis Hospital, Roslyn, NY, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint requests: John S. Gottdiener, MD, Division of Cardiology, St Francis Hospital, State University of New York School of Medicine at Stony Brook, St Francis Hospital, Roslyn, NY 11576-1348, USA.

References 

  1. Hirata T, Wolfe SB, Popp RL, et al.  Estimation of left atrial size using ultrasound. Am Heart J. 1969;78:43–52
  2. Kircher B, Abbott JA, Pau S, et al.  Left atrial volume determination by biplane two-dimensional echocardiography (validation by cine computed tomography). Am Heart J. 1991;121:864–871
  3. Wang Y, Gutman JM, Heilbron D, et al.  Atrial volume in a normal adult population by two-dimensional echocardiography. Chest. 1984;86:595–601
  4. Rodevan O, Bjornerheim R, Ljosland M, et al.  Left atrial volumes assessed by three- and two-dimensional echocardiography compared to MRI estimates. Int J Card Imaging. 1999;15:397–410
  5. Vaziri SM, Larson MG, Benjamin EJ, et al.  Echocardiographic predictors of nonrheumatic atrial fibrillation (the Framingham Heart Study). Circulation. 1994;89:724–730
  6. Kitzman DW, Gardin JM, Gottdiener JS, et al.  Importance of heart failure with preserved systolic function in patients ≥65 years of age (CHS Research Group: Cardiovascular Health Study). Am J Cardiol. 2001;87:413–419
  7. Gardin JM, McClelland R, Kitzman D, et al.  M-mode echocardiographic predictors of six- to seven-year incidence of coronary heart disease, stroke, congestive heart failure, and mortality in an elderly cohort (the Cardiovascular Health Study). Am J Cardiol. 2001;87:1051–1057
  8. Moller JE, Hillis GS, Oh JK, et al.  Left atrial volume (a powerful predictor of survival after acute myocardial infarction). Circulation. 2003;107:2207–2212
  9. Gottdiener JS, Reda DJ, Williams DW, et al.  Effect of single-drug therapy on reduction of left atrial size in mild to moderate hypertension (comparison of six antihypertensive agents: the Department of Veterans Affairs cooperative study group on antihypertensive agents). Circulation. 1998;95:2007–2014
  10. Appleton CP, Galloway JM, Gonzalez MS, et al.  Estimation of left ventricular filling pressures using two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography in adult patients with cardiac disease (additional value of analyzing left atrial size, left atrial ejection fraction and the difference in duration of pulmonary venous and mitral flow velocity at atrial contraction). J Am Coll Cardiol. 1993;22:1972–1982
  11. Tsang TS, Barnes ME, Gersh BJ, et al.  Left atrial volume as a morphophysiologic expression of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction and relation to cardiovascular risk burden. Am J Cardiol. 2002;90:1284–1289
  12. Khankirawatana B, Khankirawatana S, Porter T. How should left atrial size be reported? Comparative assessment with use of multiple echocardiographic methods. Am Heart J 2004;147:369–74
  13. Aakhus S, Maehle J, Bjoernstad K. A new method for echocardiographic computerized three-dimensional reconstruction of left ventricular endocardial surface (in vitro accuracy and clinical repeatability of volumes). J Am Soc Echocardiogr. 1994;7:571–581
  14. Lester SJ, Ryan EW, Schiller NB, et al.  Best method in clinical practice and in research studies to determine left atrial size. Am J Cardiol. 1999;84:829–832

PII: S0002-8703(03)00599-4

doi: 10.1016/j.ahj.2003.08.002

American Heart Journal
Volume 147, Issue 2 , Pages 195-196 , February 2004

Article Tools