title: The role of multidetector CT in the evaluation of the left atrium and pulmonary veins anatomy before and after radio-frequency catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation. Preliminary results and work in progress. Technical note.
abstract: Radio-frequency catheter ablation (RFCA) of the distal pulmonary veins is increasingly being used to treat recurrent or refractory atrial fibrillation that doesn't respond to pharmacologic therapy or cardioversion. Successful RFCA of atrial fibrillation depends on the pre-procedural understanding of the complex anatomy of the distal pulmonary veins and the left atrium. Aim of this paper is to describe the technical main features that characterise the multidetector helical computed tomography in the evaluation of this anatomic region before and after RFCA procedure. The 3D post-processing techniques useful for pre-RFCA planning are straightforward.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Radiodiagnostica, Azienda Provinciale per i Servizi Sanitari di Trento, Trento. Maurizio.Centonze@apss.tn.it
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Centonze
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Del Greco
authors.forename: Giandomenico
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nollo
authors.forename: Flavia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ravelli
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marini
authors.forename: Sabino Walter
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Della Sala
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dalla Palma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed / Q000379:methods*