A Rare Case of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation Presenting as Biatrial Inflammation Seen on 18F-FDG-PET

Rachad Ghazal; Adnan Ahmed; Danish Bawa; Vasvi Singh; Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy

doi:10.1016/j.jaccas.2023.102114

A Rare Case of New-Onset Atrial Fibrillation Presenting as Biatrial Inflammation Seen on ¹⁸F-FDG-PET

JACC Case Rep. 2023 Nov 17:28:102114. doi: 10.1016/j.jaccas.2023.102114. eCollection 2023 Dec 20.

Authors

Rachad Ghazal¹, Adnan Ahmed¹, Danish Bawa¹, Vasvi Singh², Dhanunjaya Lakkireddy¹

Affiliations

¹ Kansas City Heart Rhythm Institute & Research Foundation, Overland Park, Kansas, USA.
² Midwest Heart and Vascular Specialists, HCA Midwest Health, Overland Park, Kansas, USA.

Abstract

Isolated atrial myocarditis, a rare clinical entity, is presented in this case report as the diagnosis in a patient with new-onset atrial fibrillation. Our findings emphasize the potential for atrial arrhythmias and their unusual presentation; the role of multimodal imaging, especially ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT, in diagnosis; and considerations for long-term treatment strategies.

Keywords: 18F-FDG-PET/CT; atrial arrhythmias; biatrial inflammation; cardiac magnetic resonance; immunosuppressive therapy; isolated atrial myocarditis.