IMR Press / RCM / Volume 22 / Issue 4 / DOI: 10.31083/j.rcm2204128
Open Access Review
Clinical and multi-modality imaging approach in the selection of patients for left atrial appendage closure
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1 Unit of Cardiology and Intensive Coronary Care, “Umberto I” Hospital, 84014 Nocera Inferiore (SA), Italy
2 Public Health Department, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
3 Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, 84081 Baronissi, Italy
4 Emergency Room and Observation Unit, AORN Cardarelli, 80128 Naples, Italy
5 Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging (IBB) of the Italian National Research Council (CNR), 80134 Naples, Italy
6 Neuroradiology Unit, “Umberto I” Hospital, 84014 Nocera Inferiore (SA), Italy
*Correspondence: antonellodandrea@libero.it (Antonello DߣAndrea)
Academic Editor: Zhonghua Sun
Rev. Cardiovasc. Med. 2021, 22(4), 1197–1204; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.rcm2204128
Submitted: 2 August 2021 | Revised: 13 September 2021 | Accepted: 15 September 2021 | Published: 22 December 2021
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New insight in Cardiovascular Imaging)
Copyright: © 2021 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Abstract

Atrial fibrillation (AF) can lead to embolic stroke and in subjects with non-valvular AF most of thrombi are sited in the left atrial appendage (LAA). LAA is a structure located in the free wall of heart with a wide variable and complex anatomy. LAA occlusion (LAAO) could be taken in consideration in subjects with non-valvular AF and who cannot have long-term anticoagulant therapy. It is a complex preventive procedure given the high variability of patients characteristics and several LAAO devices available nowadays. Moreover, the ideal postprocedural antithrombotic strategy is still unclear. In this review we aim to describe clinical features of patients committed for LAA occlusion and the function of multimodality imaging in subjects selection, procedural management and follow up.

Keywords
Atrial fibrillation
Left atrial appendage occlusion
Stroke
Emboli
Multi-imaging
Figures
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