IMR Press / RCM / Volume 24 / Issue 11 / DOI: 10.31083/j.rcm2411334
Open Access Systematic Review
Diagnostic Accuracy of Left Atrial/Left Atrial Appendage Thrombus in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis
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1 Cardiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 250002 Jinan, Shandong, China
*Correspondence: gaohongmeia@163.com (Hongmei Gao)
These authors contributed equally.
Rev. Cardiovasc. Med. 2023, 24(11), 334; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.rcm2411334
Submitted: 14 March 2023 | Revised: 17 May 2023 | Accepted: 6 June 2023 | Published: 27 November 2023
Copyright: © 2023 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press.
This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Abstract

Background: This paper aimed to appraise the diagnostic precision of assorted methodologies to identify left atrial/left atrial appendage (LA/LAA) thrombus through a network meta-assessment. Methods: Methodologically, we conducted a comprehensive literature search across multiple databases. Utilizing the risk of bias tool from the Cochrane Collaboration, methodological quality of included studies was critically assessed and potential publication bias was examined via funnel plots. The subsequent data analysis was executed using Stata software, with the most efficacious diagnostic modalities being determined based on cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) values. Results: We scrutinized a sum of 18 papers, comprising 4102 subjects and utilizing 10 different diagnostic techniques. The hierarchical results derived from the network meta-analysis indicated that in regards to sensitivity, the dual-source cardiac computed tomography (DSCT) was superior (with a SUCRA value of 71.7%), it was succeeded by 3-minute delayed cardiac computed tomography (CCT) (scoring 66.8%), which surpassed the transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) (holding a SUCRA value of 57.5%). In terms of specificity, DSCT was the best (SUCRA value of 84.3%), followed by three dimensional (3D) cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (3D-CMRI) (SUCRA value of 78.0%), which was better than TEE (SUCRA value of 66.6%). In terms of positive likelihood ratio (PLR), 6-minute delayed CCT (SUCRA value of 85.6%) was superior to 3-minute delayed CCT (SUCRA value of 80.1%), both of which were superior to TEE (SUCRA value of 69.1%). DSCT (SUCRA value of 89.3%) had the best negative likelihood ratio (NLR), while DSCT (SUCRA value of 79.9%) had the highest accuracy. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that DSCT outperformed TEE in sensitivity, specificity, NLR, and accuracy in identifying thrombus of LA/LAA among patients suffering from atrial fibrillation. Our conclusion is that DSCT is the best in diagnosing LA/LAA. In addition, 3D-CMRI and 3-minute delayed CCT are expected to replace TEE.

Keywords
atrial fibrillation
thrombus of LA/LAA
diagnosis
CMRI
Funding
82104844/National Natural Science Foundation of China
Figures
Fig. 1.
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