Key result
CMR guides AF ablation workup through anatomical assessment, fibrosis evaluation, and risk stratification.
Why the study?
CMR has assumed an increasingly important role in catheter ablation for AF, warranting a comprehensive overview of its potential applications in the procedural workup.
Does cardiovascular magnetic resonance improve risk stratification and procedural planning in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing catheter ablation?
Does cardiovascular magnetic resonance improve risk stratification and procedural planning in patients with atrial fibrillation undergoing catheter ablation?
This review highlights the growing utility of CMR in pre-procedural planning and risk stratification for patients undergoing atrial fibrillation ablation.
May refine AF ablation planning and risk stratification; leaves open prospective outcome validation.
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia, and its prevalence is growing with time. Since the introduction of catheter ablation procedures for the treatment of AF, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has had an increasingly important role for the treatment of this pathology both in clinical practice and as a research tool to provide insight into the arrhythmic substrate. The most common applications of CMR for AF catheter ablation are the angiographic study of the pulmonary veins, the sizing of the left atrium (LA), and the evaluation of the left atrial appendage (LAA) for stroke risk assessment. Moreover, CMR may provide useful information about esophageal anatomical relationship to LA to prevent thermal injuries during ablation procedures. The use of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging allows to evaluate the burden of atrial fibrosis before the ablation procedure and to assess procedural induced scarring. Recently, the possibility to assess atrial function, strain, and the burden of cardiac adipose tissue with CMR has provided more elements for risk stratification and clinical decision making in the setting of catheter ablation planning of AF. The purpose of this review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the potential applications of CMR in the workup of ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation.
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Tore et al. (2022) conducted a review in Atrial fibrillation. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) was evaluated. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance provides comprehensive applications in the workup of atrial fibrillation ablation procedures, including anatomical assessment, fibrosis evaluation, and risk stratification.
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