Figure 5.

Transesophageal echocardiographic recordings during the time-course of anticoagulation therapy from a patient with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation complicated by heart failure. At the beginning (A), a thrombus occupying the left atrial appendage (LAA) was present. Starting with heart failure treatment with therapeutic anticoagulation (B), the B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) level decreased and LAA thrombus resolved (top) although SEC and LAA dysfunction (bottom) still were observed. Two months later (C), when the patients had spontaneously been recovered to sinus rhythm, a further decrease in the BNP level and a marked increase in the LAA velocities (bottom) were observed.