Cardiac MRI to Manage Atrial Fibrillation

Yan Zhao; Lilas Dagher; Chao Huang; Peter Miller; Nassir F Marrouche

doi:10.15420/aer.2020.21

Cardiac MRI to Manage Atrial Fibrillation

Arrhythm Electrophysiol Rev. 2020 Dec;9(4):189-194. doi: 10.15420/aer.2020.21.

Authors

Yan Zhao¹, Lilas Dagher¹, Chao Huang¹, Peter Miller¹, Nassir F Marrouche¹

Affiliation

¹ Tulane Research Innovation for Arrhythmia Discoveries (TRIAD), Heart and Vascular Institute, Tulane University School of Medicine, LA, US.

Abstract

AF is the most common arrhythmia in clinical practice. In addition to the severe effect on quality of life, patients with AF are at higher risk of stroke and mortality. Recent studies have suggested that atrial and ventricular substrate play a major role in the development and maintenance of AF. Cardiac MRI has emerged as a viable tool for interrogating the underlying substrate in AF patients. Its advantage includes localisation and quantification of structural remodelling. Cardiac MRI of the atrial substrate is not only a tool for management and treatment of arrhythmia, but also to individualise the prevention of stroke and major cardiovascular events. This article provides an overview of atrial imaging using cardiac MRI and its clinical implications in the AF population.

Keywords: AF; atrial myopathy; cardiac MRI; imaging.

Publication types

Review