Evaluation of Left Atrial Anatomy and Function using Multidetector Computed Tomography in Patients Undergoing Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice. Сatheter ablation (CA) of arrhythmogenic foci is supposed to be an established treatment option for symptomatic  patients with AF, refractory to antiarrhythmic therapy. Pre-procedural imaging is indispensable for the assessment of left atrium,  pulmonary veins and adjacent anatomy, and facilitates selection of  the ablation strategy to achieve an optimal result and minimize the risk of complications. Purpose : to evaluate the role of contrast-enhanced MDCT in  patients with AF; also to present the prospects for further  development of this method according to the systemic review of world research data. Materials and methods . 140 free access articles requested as  “MDCT left atrium”, “MDCT pulmonary veins”, “MDCT atrial  appendage” from 01.2009 until 01.2017 were analyzed in PubMed,  as well as a number of Russianlanguage articles in eLibrary. Results. This literature review reports and systematizes available  data on epidemiology and mechanisms of AF, represents current  classification. In addition were analyzed advantages of MDCT over  other methods of visualization while planning the CA and follow-up. Conclusion. MDCT is precise, effective and accessible option, which  satisfies visualization requirements during the preparation for CA.  Moreover, using MDCT in combination with electro-mapping systems  increases safety and effectiveness of the procedure. In postoperative period MDCT can be used for complications diagnostic and results assessment.