Multimodality Quantitative Assessment of Left Atrial Remodeling Characteristics Using Echocardiography and LGE-CMR in Isolated Degenerative Mitral Regurgitation: Association With Atrial Fibrillation

The study examined left atrial changes in 46 patients with degenerative mitral regurgitation using echocardiography and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Atrial fibrillation occurred in 17 patients (37 percent). Patients with atrial fibrillation were older and had reduced atrial functional parameters, including lower reservoir strain (LASr) and higher atrioventricular coupling index (LACI). Magnetic resonance imaging revealed greater fibrosis burden in the atrium of patients with atrial fibrillation. The combination of echocardiographic and magnetic resonance parameters achieved the highest accuracy in distinguishing patients with atrial fibrillation (sensitivity 76.5 percent, specificity 96.6 percent). Patients with atrial fibrillation also had higher levels of fibrosis marker in the blood.