title: Novel three-dimensional imaging of the anatomical relationship between the pulmonary vein and left atrium.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Visualization of the inner anatomical relationship of the pulmonary veins (PVs) and left atrium (LA) is important for achieving a better success rate and avoiding complications in circumferential LA ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twelve patients with AF underwent computed tomography and novel post-processing images that emphasized the boundaries of the PVs and LA were produced.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The "Transparent View" images enabled visualization of the inner anatomical relationship of the PVs and LA in the same geometry as in pulmonary venography in all cases.
authors.affiliation: Multi-dimension Biomedical Imaging & Information Laboratory in Research Park, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jinzaki
authors.forename: Kozo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tanami
authors.forename: Kotaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukumoto
authors.forename: Kojiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanimoto
authors.forename: Seiji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takatsuki
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Sachio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuribayashi
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D017023:Coronary Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008875:Middle Aged; D010690:Phlebography; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed