Epicardial adipose tissue dispersion at CT and recurrent atrial fibrillation after pulmonary vein isolation

Adrian Thomas Huber; Severin Fankhauser; Severin Wittmer; Laureve Chollet; Anna Lam; Jens Maurhofer; Antonio Madaffari; Jens Seiler; Helge Servatius; Andreas Haeberlin; Fabian Noti; Nicolas Brugger; Hendrik von Tengg-Kobligk; Christoph Gräni; Laurent Roten; Hildegard Tanner; Tobias Reichlin

doi:10.1007/s00330-023-10498-2

Epicardial adipose tissue dispersion at CT and recurrent atrial fibrillation after pulmonary vein isolation

Eur Radiol. 2024 Jan 10. doi: 10.1007/s00330-023-10498-2. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Adrian Thomas Huber^#^{1

2}, Severin Fankhauser^#^{3

4}, Severin Wittmer⁴, Laureve Chollet⁴, Anna Lam⁴, Jens Maurhofer⁴, Antonio Madaffari⁴, Jens Seiler⁴, Helge Servatius⁴, Andreas Haeberlin⁴, Fabian Noti⁴, Nicolas Brugger⁴, Hendrik von Tengg-Kobligk³, Christoph Gräni⁴, Laurent Roten⁴, Hildegard Tanner⁴, Tobias Reichlin⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Diagnostic, Interventional and Pediatric Radiology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse, 3010, Bern, Switzerland. adrian.huber@insel.ch.
² Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Lucerne Cantonal Hospital, University of Lucerne, Lucerne, Switzerland, Lucerne, Switzerland. adrian.huber@insel.ch.
³ Department of Diagnostic, Interventional and Pediatric Radiology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
⁴ Department of Cardiology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

^# Contributed equally.

PMID: 38197916
DOI: 10.1007/s00330-023-10498-2

Abstract

Objectives: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) remodeling is associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). Left atrial (LA) EAT dispersion on cardiac CT is a non-invasive imaging biomarker reflecting EAT heterogeneity. We aimed to investigate the association of LA EAT dispersion with AF recurrence after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI).

Methods: In a prospective registry of consecutive patients undergoing first PVI, mean EAT attenuation values were measured on contrast-enhanced cardiac CT scans in Hounsfield units (HU) within low (- 195 to - 45 HU) and high (- 44 to - 15 HU) threshold EAT compartments around the left atrium (LA). EAT dispersion was defined as the difference between the mean HU values within the two EAT compartments. Continuous variables were compared between groups using the Mann-Whitney U test and cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate hazard ratios of predictors of 1-year AF recurrence.

Results: A total of 208 patients were included, 135 with paroxysmal AF and 73 with persistent AF. LA EAT dispersion was significantly larger in patients with persistent compared to paroxysmal AF (52.6 HU vs. 49.9 HU; p = 0.001). After 1 year of follow-up, LA EAT dispersion above the mean (> 50.8 HU) was associated with a higher risk of AF recurrence (HR 2.3, 95% CI 1.5-3.6; p < 0.001). It retained its predictive value when corrected for age, sex, body mass index, LA volume, and AF type (HR 2.8, 95% CI 1.6-4.6; p < 0.001).

Conclusion: A larger LA EAT dispersion on contrast-enhanced cardiac CT scans, reflecting EAT heterogeneity, is independently associated with AF recurrence after PVI.

Clinical relevance statement: Based on LA EAT dispersion assessment, a more accurate risk stratification and patient selection may be possible based on a pre-procedural cardiac CT when planning PVI.

Key points: • Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) remodeling is associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). • A larger left atrial EAT dispersion in a pre-procedural cardiac CT was associated with a higher 1-year AF recurrence risk after pulmonary vein isolation. • A pre-procedural cardiac CT with left atrial EAT dispersion assessment may provide a more accurate risk stratification and patient selection for PVI.

Keywords: Adipose tissue; Atrial fibrillation; Catheter ablation; Coronary vessels; Multidetector computed tomography.