Frequency of atrial fibrillation in Mitral Stenosis and its correlation with left atrial size

Abstract

Introduction: Chronic rheumatic heart disease is much the commonest cause of mitral stenosis. Incidence of rheumatic MS parallels that of acute rheumatic fever. Atrial fibrillation usually develops in the presence of pre-existing ECG evidence of left atrial enlargement and is related to the size of the chamber, the extend of fibrosis of the left atrial myocardium, the duration of the atriomegaly and the age of the patient. Study Design: Descriptive Setting: Mayo Hospital, Lahore and Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore Type of sampling: Convenient No. of cases: 129 consecutive cases of predominant mitral stenosis. 112 cases included in the final workup. Results: The frequency of AF in MS in this study was calculated as 25.9%. The correlation between AF and left atrial size was significant (p = 0.000). This was plotted on the scattergram (Figure No. 1), which shows a steep rise in the frequency of AF beyond a left atrial size of 70 mm. Conclusions: Frequency of AF in patients with MS is 25.9%. The correlation between AF in MS and left atrial size is significant (p = 0.000).