Frequency of left atrial thrombi by transesophageal echocardiography in idiopathic and in ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy

Abstract Systemic emboli occur in dilated cardiomyopathy (DC) at an annual rate of about 4%. 1 Left ventricular thrombus is often considered the source for embolic events in DC. 2 A relation between left ventricular thrombi and rate of embolic events, however, has not been found in a recent study. 3 Left atrial thrombi may constitute an alternative source for systemic embolism in DC. 4