title: Multimodality Cardiac Imaging for the Assessment of Left Atrial Function and the Association With Atrial Arrhythmias.
abstract: Several cardiac imaging modalities are able to visualize the left atrium (LA) and, therefore, allow for quantification of both structural and functional properties of this cardiac chamber. In echocardiography, only the maximal LA volume is included in the assessment of diastolic function at the current moment. Numerous studies, however, have shown that functional measures may be superior to the maximal LA volume in several aspects and to possess clinical value even in the absence of structural abnormalities. Such functional measures could prove particularly useful in the setting of predicting atrial fibrillation, which will be a point of focus in this review. Pivotal cardiac magnetic resonance imaging studies have revealed high correlation between LA fibrosis and risk of atrial fibrillation recurrence after catheter ablation, and subsequent multimodality imaging studies have uncovered an inverse relationship between LA reservoir function and degree of LA fibrosis. This has sparked an increased interest into the application of advanced imaging modalities, including both speckle tracking echocardiography and tissue tracking by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Even though increasing evidence has supported the use of functional measures and proven its superiority to the maximal LA volume, they have still not been adopted in clinical guidelines. The reason for this discrepancy may rely on the fact that there is little to no agreement on how to technically perform deformation analysis of the LA. Such technical considerations, limitations, and alternate imaging prospects will be addressed in this review.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Cardiology, Herlev & Gentofte Hospital (F.J.O., J.S.J., T.B.-S.), Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet (L.B., M.C.d.K., N.V., J.H.S.), Department of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Cluster for Molecular Imaging, Rigshospitalet (T.E.C.), and Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (J.H.S., J.S.J.), University of Copenhagen, Denmark; and Department of Radiology, Cardio-Vascular Imaging Division (T.E.C.) and Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine Division (T.B.-S.), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. flemming.j.olsen@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Flemming Javier
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Cardiology, Herlev & Gentofte Hospital (F.J.O., J.S.J., T.B.-S.), Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet (L.B., M.C.d.K., N.V., J.H.S.), Department of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Cluster for Molecular Imaging, Rigshospitalet (T.E.C.), and Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (J.H.S., J.S.J.), University of Copenhagen, Denmark; and Department of Radiology, Cardio-Vascular Imaging Division (T.E.C.) and Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine Division (T.B.-S.), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Litten
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bertelsen
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Cardiology, Herlev & Gentofte Hospital (F.J.O., J.S.J., T.B.-S.), Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet (L.B., M.C.d.K., N.V., J.H.S.), Department of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Cluster for Molecular Imaging, Rigshospitalet (T.E.C.), and Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (J.H.S., J.S.J.), University of Copenhagen, Denmark; and Department of Radiology, Cardio-Vascular Imaging Division (T.E.C.) and Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine Division (T.B.-S.), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Martina Chantal
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: de Knegt
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Cardiology, Herlev & Gentofte Hospital (F.J.O., J.S.J., T.B.-S.), Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet (L.B., M.C.d.K., N.V., J.H.S.), Department of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Cluster for Molecular Imaging, Rigshospitalet (T.E.C.), and Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (J.H.S., J.S.J.), University of Copenhagen, Denmark; and Department of Radiology, Cardio-Vascular Imaging Division (T.E.C.) and Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine Division (T.B.-S.), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Thomas Emil
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Christensen
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Cardiology, Herlev & Gentofte Hospital (F.J.O., J.S.J., T.B.-S.), Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet (L.B., M.C.d.K., N.V., J.H.S.), Department of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Cluster for Molecular Imaging, Rigshospitalet (T.E.C.), and Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (J.H.S., J.S.J.), University of Copenhagen, Denmark; and Department of Radiology, Cardio-Vascular Imaging Division (T.E.C.) and Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine Division (T.B.-S.), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vejlstrup
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Cardiology, Herlev & Gentofte Hospital (F.J.O., J.S.J., T.B.-S.), Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet (L.B., M.C.d.K., N.V., J.H.S.), Department of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Cluster for Molecular Imaging, Rigshospitalet (T.E.C.), and Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (J.H.S., J.S.J.), University of Copenhagen, Denmark; and Department of Radiology, Cardio-Vascular Imaging Division (T.E.C.) and Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine Division (T.B.-S.), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Jesper Hastrup
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Svendsen
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Cardiology, Herlev & Gentofte Hospital (F.J.O., J.S.J., T.B.-S.), Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet (L.B., M.C.d.K., N.V., J.H.S.), Department of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Cluster for Molecular Imaging, Rigshospitalet (T.E.C.), and Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (J.H.S., J.S.J.), University of Copenhagen, Denmark; and Department of Radiology, Cardio-Vascular Imaging Division (T.E.C.) and Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine Division (T.B.-S.), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Jan Skov
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Cardiology, Herlev & Gentofte Hospital (F.J.O., J.S.J., T.B.-S.), Department of Cardiology, Rigshospitalet (L.B., M.C.d.K., N.V., J.H.S.), Department of Cardiology, Department of Clinical Physiology, Nuclear Medicine & PET, Cluster for Molecular Imaging, Rigshospitalet (T.E.C.), and Institute of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences (J.H.S., J.S.J.), University of Copenhagen, Denmark; and Department of Radiology, Cardio-Vascular Imaging Division (T.E.C.) and Department of Medicine, Cardiovascular Medicine Division (T.B.-S.), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Tor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Biering-Sørensen
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D001145:Arrhythmias, Cardiac / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D016279:Atrial Function, Left; D064752:Atrial Remodeling; D017115:Catheter Ablation / Q000009:adverse effects; D004452:Echocardiography; D005355:Fibrosis; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D064847:Multimodal Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012008:Recurrence; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: atrial fibrillation; cardiac computed tomography; cardiac magnetic resonance imaging; echocardiography; left atrium; positron emission tomography