55Non-invasive ECG-imaging for identification of atrial arrhythmogenic low voltage substrate in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation

EP Europace ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M Eichenlaub ◽  
H Lehrmann ◽  
B Mueller-Edenborn ◽  
J Allgeier ◽  
R Weber ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Low Voltage ◽  
Conduction Delay ◽  
Conduction Time ◽  
Atrial Fibrosis ◽  
Activation Time ◽  
Recurrence Rates ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Atrial Conduction Time

Abstract Background/Introduction Left atrial (LA) fibrosis is associated with increased arrhythmia recurrence rates after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) and increased stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). So far, detection and quantification of LA fibrosis is only feasible by invasive electrophysiological mapping of low-voltage-substrate (LVS) or delayed enhancement areas in MRI. Purpose The aim of this study was to assess the distribution and extent of atrial fibrosis by non-invasive ECG-Imaging (ECGI) in patients with persistent AF prior to PVI. Methods Thirty-seven consecutive patients (66 ± 9 years, 84% male) presenting for their first PVI were included. Patients with AF were cardioverted into sinus rhythm (SR). One day prior to AF ablation procedure, patients underwent ECGI in SR using the 252-electrode-array (CardioInsight) and a low-X-ray-dose, non-injected cardiac CT-scan to assess the relationship between ECGI-electrodes and cardiac epicardial structures. Prior to PVI, high-density biatrial voltage and activation maps were acquired in SR (CARTO-3). Localization and extent of atrial LVS (relevant fibrosis: LA-LVS: ≥5cm2 at <0.5mV threshold) and biatrial activation times depicted by CARTO were compared with atrial activation/conduction times assessed by non-invasive ECGI.  Presence of LA-LVS was classified according to its extent into 3 stages and compared to the inter- and intraatrial conduction delay in ECGI. Results Relevant atrial fibrosis was found in 17/37(46%) patients. Presence of biatrial LVS resulted in a linear increase of the biatrial activation time in CARTO-SR-maps (146 ± 18ms in patients without LVS vs 184 ± 27ms in patients with LVS, p < 0.001) and in non-invasive ECGI (133 ± 11ms vs 170 ± 20ms, p < 0.001). Both the extent of biatrial LVS and invasively measured total activation time correlated well with non-invasive total atrial conduction time (TACT) in ECGI (r = 0.91 and r = 0.82, respectively, figure). Moreover, the extent of LA-LVS showed an excellent correlation to TACT in ECGI (r = 0.89). A combination of inter-atrial (RA-LA) conduction delay and TACT in ECGI allowed to quantify the extent of LA-LVS and to distinguish between three stages of LA-LVS: Stage 1 (minimal LA-LVS: 1 ± 2cm2): ECGI revealed rapid RA&LA activation with short TACT 132 ± 9ms; Stage 2 (moderate LA-LVS: 14 ± 8cm2 involving the anteroseptal LA) was associated with delayed LA activation and prolonged TACT measuring 161 ± 7ms; Stage 3 (extensive LA-LVS involving the anteroseptal and posterior LA: 26 ± 17cm2) was characterized by a significantly delayed LA activation with a TACT of 178 ± 24ms in ECGI. Conclusion Analysis of interatrial conduction delay and total atrial conduction time (TACT) in non-invasive ECGI allows accurate staging of patients with arrhythmogenic atrial LVS who present an increased risk for arrhythmia recurrences and stroke. Abstract Figure.

scholarly journals Left Atrial Structural Remodelling in Non-Valvular Atrial Fibrillation: What Have We Learnt from CMR?

Diagnostics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Floria ◽  
Smaranda Radu ◽  
Evelina Maria Gosav ◽  
Dragos Cozma ◽  
Ovidiu Mitu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Left Atrial ◽  
Recurrence Risk ◽  
Atrial Fibrosis ◽  
Gadolinium Enhancement ◽  
Prognostic Information ◽  
Recurrence Rates ◽  
Index Procedure ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Lge Cmr

Left atrial structural, functional and electrical remodelling are linked to atrial fibrillation (AF) pathophysiology and mirror the phrase “AF begets AF”. A structurally remodelled left atrium (LA) is fibrotic, dysfunctional and enlarged. Fibrosis is the hallmark of LA structural remodelling and is associated with increased risk of stroke, heart failure development and/or progression and poorer catheter ablation outcomes with increased recurrence rates. Moreover, increased atrial fibrosis has been associated with higher rates of stroke even in sinus-rhythm individuals. As such, properly assessing the fibrotic atrial cardiomyopathy in AF patients becomes necessary. In this respect, late-gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR) imaging is the gold standard in imaging myocardial fibrosis. LA structural remodelling extension offers both diagnostic and prognostic information and influences therapeutic choices. LGE-CMR scans can be used before the procedure to better select candidates and to aid in choosing the ablation technique, during the procedure (full CMR-guided ablations) and after the ablation (to assess the ablation scar). This review focuses on imaging several LA structural remodelling CMR parameters, including size, shape and fibrosis (both extension and architecture) and their impact on procedure outcomes, recurrence risk, as well as their utility in relation to the index procedure timing.

scholarly journals Echocardiographic diagnosis of atrial cardiomyopathy allows outcome prediction following pulmonary vein isolation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Eichenlaub ◽  
Bjoern Mueller-Edenborn ◽  
Jan Minners ◽  
Martin Allgeier ◽  
Heiko Lehrmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sinus Rhythm ◽  
Pulmonary Vein ◽  
Pulmonary Vein Isolation ◽  
Validation Cohort ◽  
Low Voltage ◽  
Predictive Values ◽  
Contact Mapping ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Echocardiographic Parameters

Abstract Background Relevant atrial cardiomyopathy (ACM), defined as a left atrial (LA) low-voltage area ≥ 2 cm2 at 0.5 mV threshold on endocardial contact mapping, is associated with new-onset atrial fibrillation (AF), higher arrhythmia recurrence rates after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI), and an increased risk of stroke. The current study aimed to assess two non-invasive echocardiographic parameters, LA emptying fraction (EF) and LA longitudinal strain (LAS, during reservoir (LASr), conduit (LAScd) and contraction phase (LASct)) for the diagnosis of ACM and prediction of arrhythmia outcome after PVI. Methods We prospectively enrolled 60 consecutive, ablation-naive patients (age 66 ± 9 years, 80% males) with persistent AF. In 30 patients (derivation cohort), LA-EF and LAS cut-off values for the presence of relevant ACM (high-density endocardial contact mapping in sinus rhythm prior to PVI at 3000 ± 1249 sites) were established in sinus rhythm and tested in a validation cohort (n = 30). Arrhythmia recurrence within 12 months was documented using 72-h Holter electrocardiograms. Results An LA-EF of < 34% predicted ACM with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.846 (sensitivity 69.2%, specificity 76.5%) similar to a LASr < 23.5% (AUC 0.878, sensitivity 92.3%, specificity 82.4%). In the validation cohort, these cut-offs established the correct diagnosis of ACM in 76% of patients (positive predictive values 87%/93% and negative predictive values 73%/75%, respectively). Arrhythmia recurrence in the entire cohort was significantly more frequent in patients with LA-EF < 34% and LASr < 23.5% (56% vs. 29% and 55% vs. 26%, both p < 0.05). Conclusion The echocardiographic parameters LA-EF and LAS allow accurate, non-invasive diagnosis of ACM and prediction of arrhythmia recurrence after PVI. Graphic abstract

scholarly journals Non-invasive mid-term ECG monitoring for the detection of atrial fibrillation in an outpatient population

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
J Cai ◽  
K.K Yeo ◽  
P Wong ◽  
C.K Ching
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Public Institution ◽  
First Episode ◽  
Prior History ◽  
Funding Source ◽  
Monitoring Device ◽  
Ecg Monitoring ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Mean

Abstract Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common arrhythmia with significant morbidity due to an increased risk of ischemic stroke. Outpatient electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring is an integral part of the diagnosis of AF. Conventional 24 hour Holter monitoring can be cumbersome and often fails to diagnose patients with paroxysmal AF. Spyder ECG is a non-invasive ECG monitoring device that allows wireless transmission of ECG information for analysis. It is small and comfortable, allowing for easy application for the screening and detection of AF over a mid-term duration. Purpose This study aims to evaluate the incidence of AF in patients with no prior AF and CHADsVASC score of at least 1 with the use of the Spyder ECG mid-term ECG monitoring device. Methods Patients aged 21 to 85 years old with no prior history of AF and CHADsVASC score of at least 1 were recruited from outpatient clinics of 3 large tertiary hospitals in Singapore from December 2016 to April 2019. Patients wore the Spyder ECG device for up to 2 weeks, during which continuous ECG information was uploaded onto a central cloud database and analysed. Results There were 363 patients recruited. The mean age was 61±10.0 years and 65.1% were male. There were 80.3% Chinese, 11.6% Malay, 7.5% Indian and 20.6% of other races. 68.3% of the patients were non-smokers and 74.0% of them were non-alcohol drinkers. The mean BMI of 25.5±4.7 kg/m2. The patient population had significant co-morbidities. 76.3% of the patients had hypertension, 69.4% of them had hyperlipidemia and 40.5% of them had diabetes mellitus. 10.0% of them had congestive cardiac failure and 56.7% had ischaemic heart disease. 11.3% of patients had a previous stroke and 20.4% had a prior myocardial infarction. 7.8% of the patients had asthma, 5.8% of them had thyroid disease and 9.9% of them had chronic kidney disease. They were monitored for a mean of 5.4±2.9 days each. There were 15 (4.1%) patients in whom AF was detected. The patients with AF wore the device for a mean of 5.7±2.0 SD days. The mean burden of AF was 9.0% of monitored time. 46.7% of the patients with AF had detection of AF on the first day, 26.7% on the second day, 13.3% on the third day and 13.3% on the seventh day. The mean duration of the first episode of AF was 251±325 minutes. 7 out of 15 (46.7%) of patients had first episodes of AF lasting less than 10 minutes. Conclusion Continuous mid-term ECG monitoring was able to detect AF in 15 (4.1%) of a population of 363 patients with no prior AF and CHADsVASC score of at least one, monitored for a mean of 5.4 days. Most episodes (53.3%) of AF were detected after the first day of ECG monitoring. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Public Institution(s). Main funding source(s): Duke-NUS Medical School Singapore

scholarly journals Low-voltage-area ablation in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation: Extended follow-up results of the VOLCANO trial

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masaharu Masuda ◽  
Mitsutoshi Asai ◽  
Osamu Iida ◽  
Shin Okamoto ◽  
Takayuki Ishihara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Low Voltage ◽  
Recurrence Rates ◽  
Group A ◽  
C 32 ◽  
Group B ◽  
Group D

Introduction: The randomized controlled VOLCANO trial demonstrated comparable 1-year rhythm outcomes between patients with and without ablation targeting low-voltage areas (LVAs) in addition to pulmonary vein isolation among paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with LVAs. To compare long-term AF/atrial tachycardia (AT) recurrence rates and types of recurrent-atrial-tachyarrhythmia between treatment cohorts during a > 2-year follow-up period. Methods: An extended-follow-up study of 402 patients enrolled in the VOLCANO trial with paroxysmal AF, divided into 4 groups based on the results of voltage mapping: Group A, no LVA (n=336); group B, LVA ablation (n=30); group C, LVA presence without ablation (n=32); and group D, incomplete voltage map (n=4). Results: At 25 (23, 31) months after the initial ablation, AF/AT recurrence rates were 19% in group A, 57% in group B, 59% in group C, and 100% in group D. Recurrence rates were higher in patients with LVAs than those without (group A vs. B+C, p<0.0001), and were comparable between those with and without LVA ablation (group B vs. C, p=0.83). Among patients who underwent repeat ablation, ATs were more frequently observed in patients with LVAs (Group B+C, 50% vs. A, 14%, p<0.0001). In addition, LVA ablation increased the incidence of AT development (group B, 71% vs. C, 32%, p<0.0001), especially biatrial tachycardia (20% vs. 0%, p=0.01). Conclusion: Patients with LVAs demonstrated poor long-term rhythm outcomes irrespective of LVA ablation. ATs were frequently observed in patients with LVAs, and LVA ablation might exacerbate iatrogenic ATs.

Abstract 16572: Association of Atrial Fibrosis With Major Adverse Cardiac Events in Patients With Non-valvular Atrial Fibrillation

Circulation ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 132 (suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan B King ◽  
Mukul Singhal ◽  
Gagan Kaur ◽  
Kara Johnson ◽  
Christina Pacchia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atrial Fibrillation ◽  
Major Adverse Cardiac Events ◽  
P Value ◽  
Advanced Degree ◽  
Atrial Fibrosis ◽  
Cardiac Events ◽  
Historical Cohort ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Adverse Cardiac Events

Background: Extensive of atrial fibrosis has been demonstrated to significantly predict success of catheter ablation. However, impact of extensive fibrosis on other aspects of patient care and long-term prognosis is unknown. Methods: We conducted a historical cohort study to assess the hypothesis that increased degree of atrial fibrosis is independently associated with major adverse cardiac events (MACE). We reviewed 853 patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) and quantified fibrosis. Logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association of percent fibrosis on experiencing a MACE. Linear splines were utilized to allow the functional form of the exposure to vary at high (>15%) and low (<15%) fibrosis scores. The outcome of interest was a composite of MACE: myocardial infarction (MI), ischemic stroke (IS), or venous thromboembolism (VTE). Results: The mean age of the cohort was 66.2±12.4 with 66% male and 79% white. During a median follow-up of 2.9 years, 69 (8.1%), 46 (5.4%), 52 (6.1%), and 156 (18.3%) of patients experienced an MI, IS, VTE, or MACE, respectively. High fibrosis patients were more likely to be older, male, and have a higher CHA2DS2-VASc score. In the unadjusted analysis, increased fibrosis was associated with increased odds of a MI (OR [95% CI] P-Value: 1.30 [1.00, 1.68] 0.05) or any MACE (1.28 [1.06, 1.56] 0.01), but not with IS or VTE. After adjusting for potential confounders, increasing fibrosis levels had significantly increased odds of MI (1.53 [1.02, 2.28] 0.04) and VTE (1.52 [1.17, 2.86] <0.01) when fibrosis levels were above 15%. There was no significant association below 15%. The odds of a MACE was significant above 15% (1.64 [1.18, 2.27] <0.01) and across all fibrosis scores (1.23 [1.01, 1.49] 0.04), but was insignificant when only fibrosis levels below 15% were examined. Conclusions: Advanced degree of atrial fibrosis in patients with NVAF is independently associated with increased risk of MI, VTE and a composite of MACE.

Non-invasive predictors for infranodal conduction delay in patients with left bundle branch block after TAVR

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chloé Auberson ◽  
Patrick Badertscher ◽  
Antonio Madaffari ◽  
Meriton Malushi ◽  
Luc Bourquin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Left Bundle Branch Block ◽  
Predictive Value ◽  
Conduction Delay ◽  
Bundle Branch Block ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
Transcatheter Aortic Valve ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Surface Ecg ◽  
Pr Interval ◽  
Electrocardiographic Parameters

Abstract Aims Left bundle branch block (LBBB) is the most common conduction disorder after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) with an increased risk of atrioventricular (AV) block. The aim of the current study was to identify non-invasive predictors for infranodal conduction delay in patients with LBBB. Methods We analyzed consecutive patients undergoing TAVR with pre-existing or new-onset LBBB between August 2014 and August 2020. His ventricular (HV) interval measurement was performed on day 1 after TAVR. Baseline, procedural, as well as surface and intracardiac electrocardiographic parameters were included. Infranodal conduction delay was defined as HV interval > 55 ms. Results Of 825 patients screened after TAVR, 151 patients (82 ± 6 years, 39% male) with LBBB were included. Among these, infranodal conduction delay was observed in 25%. ΔPR (difference in PR interval after and before TAVR), PR and QRS duration after TAVR were significantly longer in the group with HV prolongation. In a multivariate analysis in patients with sinus rhythm (n = 123), ΔPR (OR per 10 ms increase: 1.52; 95%CI: 1.19–2.01; p = 0.002) was the only independent factor associated with infranodal conduction delay. A change in PR interval by 20 ms yielded a specificity of 83% and a sensitivity of 46%, with a negative predictive value of 84% and a positive predictive value of 45% to predict HV prolongation. Conclusions Simple analysis of surface ECG and a calculated ΔPR < 20 ms can be used as predictor for the absence of infranodal conduction delay in post-TAVR patients with LBBB. Graphical abstract

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