Prognostic usefulness of left ventricular thrombus by echocardiography in dilated cardiomyopathy in predicting stroke, transient ischemic attack, and death

Echocardiograms of 290 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (ejection fraction less than or equal to 35%) were reviewed for the presence of left ventricular (LV) apical abnormalities; outcomes of stroke and death were then correlated with the presence of LV thrombus. During a follow-up of 31 months, 15 patients had a stroke or transient ischemic attack after the index echocardiogram (5.2%). Patients with LV thrombus on echocardiography had a significantly higher rate of stroke (adjusted odds ratio 3.4, p = 0.027) than those without echocardiographic evidence of thrombi. There was no difference in mortality between patients with and without thrombus (20.9% vs 21.1%, p = 0.726). (C) 2004 by Excerpta Medica, Inc.