الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Although pulmonary vein antrum isolation eliminates the triggers for atrial fibrillation development, a significant number of patients have developed recurrence during follow up. Thus, left atrium fibrosis as an important contributor of atrial substrate may play a role in recurrence and maintenance of atrial fibrillation episodes after catheter ablation. This study investigated the presence of atrial fibrosis in patients with lone paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and its impact on recurrence after pulmonary vein antrum isolation. Twenty eight patients referred to the Cardiology department at Ain Shams University Hospitals for first-time pulmonary vein antrum isolation for the treatment of symptomatic paroxysmal lone atrial fibrillation. A detailed electroanatomical voltage maps were done in the right and left atria before pulmonary vein antrum isolation. Low-voltage zones (atrial fibrosis) were defined as areas with bipolar peak-to-peak voltage amplitudes of < 0.5 mV and covering > 5% of the total atrial body surface area. Follow up for recurrence was done for 6 month duration after the procedure |