title: Sixteen multidetector row computed tomography of pulmonary veins: 3-months' follow-up after treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation with cryothermal ablation.
abstract: The aim of the study was to assess pulmonary veins (PVs) for the presence of stenosis 3 months after cryothermal ablation (CA) with a new method of electrical isolation of PVs using contrast-enhanced 16 multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT). Twenty four patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation underwent CA in 46 PVs. MDCT of PVs was performed before the treatment and after 3-months' follow-up. Following cryoablation, 13/24 (54%) patients showed clinical improvement and had reduced attacks of atrial fibrillation. The dimensions of the treated PVs remained unchanged: the coronal ostial diameter was 19.1+/-2.4 preprocedural versus 18.6+/-2.4 mm at follow-up, p>0.05; the ratio of the coronal and axial diameters at the ostium was 1.2+/-0.2 versus 1.2+/-0.1, p>0.05, respectively, and the coronal diameter of the proximal 10 mm was 17.1+/-2.5 mm versus 16.5+/-2.2 mm, p>0.05, respectively. CA is a promising technique for electrical isolation of PVs that has not been associated with stenosis at the orifice and the proximal 10 mm of the PVs after 3-months' follow-up. MDCT is a noninvasive, fast and comfortable method for assessment of PVs in a three-dimensional manner prior to ablative treatment and during the follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Doctor Molewaterplein, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. rmaksimovic@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ruzica
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Maksimović
authors.forename: Marcoen F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Scholten
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cademartiri
authors.forename: Luc J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Jordaens
authors.forename: Peter M T
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Pattynama
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D003452:Cryosurgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
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