Visualizing radiofrequency lesions using delayed-enhancement magnetic resonance imaging in patients with atrial fibrillation: A modification of the method used by the University of Utah group.
BACKGROUND
Atrial tissue fibrosis has previously been identified using delayed-enhancement MRI (DE-MRI) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Although the clinical importance of DE-MRI is well recognized, the visualization of atrial fibrosis and radiofrequency (RF) lesions has still not been achieved in Japan, primarily because of the differences in contrast agents, volume-rendering tools, and technical experience. The objective of this study was to visualize RF lesions by using commercially available tools.


METHODS
DE-MRI was performed in 15 patients who had undergone AF ablation (age, 59±4 years, left atrium diameter, 40±2 mm). Specific parameters for MR scanning obtained from previous reports were modified.


RESULTS
Of the 15 images, the images of three patients were uninterpretable owing to low image quality. RF lesions could be visualized in 8 (67%) of the 12 patients.


CONCLUSIONS
In the current study, we successfully demonstrated that RF lesions could be visualized in Japanese patients using DE-MRI, although only commercially available tools were used.
Department of Cardiology, Himeji Cardiovascular Center, 520 kou saishou, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Kunihiko
K
Kiuchi
Department of Cardiology, Himeji Cardiovascular Center, 520 kou saishou, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Katsunori
K
Okajima
Department of Cardiology, Himeji Cardiovascular Center, 520 kou saishou, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Akira
A
Shimane
Department of Cardiology, Himeji Cardiovascular Center, 520 kou saishou, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Kiminobu
K
Yokoi
Department of Cardiology, Himeji Cardiovascular Center, 520 kou saishou, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Jin
J
Teranishi
Department of Cardiology, Himeji Cardiovascular Center, 520 kou saishou, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Kousuke
K
Aoki
Department of Cardiology, Himeji Cardiovascular Center, 520 kou saishou, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Misato
M
Chimura
Department of Cardiology, Himeji Cardiovascular Center, 520 kou saishou, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Hideo
H
Tsubata
Department of Cardiology, Himeji Cardiovascular Center, 520 kou saishou, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Taishi
T
Miyata
Department of Cardiology, Himeji Cardiovascular Center, 520 kou saishou, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Yuuki
Y
Matsuoka
Department of Cardiology, Himeji Cardiovascular Center, 520 kou saishou, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Takayoshi
T
Toba
Department of Cardiology, Himeji Cardiovascular Center, 520 kou saishou, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Shogo
S
Ohishi
Department of Cardiology, Himeji Cardiovascular Center, 520 kou saishou, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Takahiro
T
Sawada
Department of Cardiology, Himeji Cardiovascular Center, 520 kou saishou, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Yasue
Y
Tsukishiro
Department of Cardiology, Himeji Cardiovascular Center, 520 kou saishou, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Tetsuari
T
Onishi
Department of Cardiology, Himeji Cardiovascular Center, 520 kou saishou, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Seiichi
S
Kobayashi
Department of Cardiology, Himeji Cardiovascular Center, 520 kou saishou, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Shinichiro
S
Yamada
Department of Cardiology, Himeji Cardiovascular Center, 520 kou saishou, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Yasuyo
Y
Taniguchi
Department of Cardiology, Himeji Cardiovascular Center, 520 kou saishou, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Yoshinori
Y
Yasaka
Department of Cardiology, Himeji Cardiovascular Center, 520 kou saishou, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Hiroya
H
Kawai
Department of Laboratory and Radiology, Himeji Cardiovascular Centre, 520 kou saishou, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Kazushi
K
Ikeuchi
Department of Laboratory and Radiology, Himeji Cardiovascular Centre, 520 kou saishou, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Yutaka
Y
Shigenaga
Department of Laboratory and Radiology, Himeji Cardiovascular Centre, 520 kou saishou, Himeji, Hyogo, Japan.
Takayuki
T
Ikeda
AF, atrial fibrillation; Atrial fibrillation; Catheter ablation; DE-MRI, delayed-enhancement magnetic resonance imaging; Delayed-enhancement MRI; RF, radiofrequency; Radiofrequency lesions