ABSTRACT
In AF, cardiogenic emboli are the sources of transient ischemic attack [TIA] and stroke in 20-40% of patients, and the left atrial appendage [LAA] is almost always the site of thrombus formation [Hart and Halperin, et al., 2001]. To evaluate the value of transesophageal echocardiography [TEE] in assessment of left atrial appendage function The study will include sixty consecutive patients with indication for TEE assessment to detection of left atrial appendage [LAA] thrombi at BAB AL-SHE>RYIA University Hospital - Al-Azhar University, between December, 2009 to April, 2010 ,30 patientswith history of ischemic stroke, 30 patients with dilated left atrium ,A11 subjects will be subjected to the followings:-Full history- Clinical examination -12 leads resting ECG- TranSoesophageal echocardiography used to to visualize the LA, LAA and RAA. LAA area [LAA a] and volume [LAA v] was obtained by area length method [Pollick and Taylor, 1991]. will show highly statistically significant values between patients groups in the following LAA emptying velocity [LAA vel] ,LA appendage AM wave [LAA AM] and with no significant values in LAA area [LAA a], LAA volume [LAA v] LA appendage EM wave [LAA EM], LA appendage SM wave[LAASM] The LAA end diastolic tissue Doppler velocity [LAA AM] is a parameter that allows evaluate the LAA myocardial function with stress on TTE as non invasive test