title: Prevalence and characterization of pulmonary vein variants in patients with atrial fibrillation determined using 3-dimensional computed tomography.
abstract: Although several branching patterns of pulmonary veins (PVs) were reported, their prevalence and characterization were not sufficiently clarified. Multislice computed tomography was performed in 428 patients who underwent catheter ablation for drug-refractory atrial fibrillation. Size and branching pattern of PVs were analyzed. A typical pattern of 4 PVs with 4 separate ostia was found in 326 patients (76%). However, a common PV trunk, defined as a PV with coalescence of superior and inferior PVs > or =1.5 cm proximal to the junction with the left atrium, was found on the left side in 34 patients (8%) and right side in 3 patients (0.76%). A discrete middle PV was found on the right side in 54 patients (13%) and left side in 9 patients (2%). A right top PV, defined as an anomalous insertion of a branch of the right superior PV into the left atrial body, was also found in 16 patients (4%). In conclusion, 24% of our patients with atrial fibrillation had PV anomalies and 3% had coexistence of 2 PV variants, indicating that PV variants are not rare.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Kanazawa Medical University, Uchinada, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaseno
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tada
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Koyama
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jingu
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hiramatsu
authors.forename: Miki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yokokawa
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Goto
authors.forename: Shigeto
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oshima
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D054079:Vascular Malformations / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*