Novel three-dimensional imaging of the anatomical relationship between the pulmonary vein and left atrium.
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.
Yamada
Minoru
M
Multi-dimension Biomedical Imaging & Information Laboratory in Research Park, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Jinzaki
Masahiro
M
Sato
Kozo
K
Tanami
Yutaka
Y
Fukumoto
Kotaro
K
Tanimoto
Kojiro
K
Takatsuki
Seiji
S
Ogawa
Satoshi
S
Kuribayashi
Sachio
S
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