Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026
Three-Dimensional Modeling of the Left Atrium and Pulmonary Veins with a Precise Intracardiac Echocardiography Approach
Published on: June 30, 2023
Evaluation of left atrial function by multidetector computed tomography before left atrial radiofrequency-catheter
Florian Wolf1, Petr Ourednicek, Christian Loewe
1Department of Radiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. florian.wolf@meduniwien.ac.at
Introduction:
The purpose of this study was to compare a manual and automated 3D volume segmentation tool for evaluation of left atrial (LA) function by 64-slice multidetector-CT (MDCT).
Methods And Materials:
In 33 patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation a MDCT scan was performed before radiofrequency-catheter ablation. Atrial function (minimal volume (LAmin), maximal volume (LAmax), stroke volume (SV), ejection fraction (EF)) was evaluated by two readers using a manual and an automatic tool and measurement time was evaluated.
Results:
Automated LA volume segmentation failed in one patient due to low LA enhancement (103HU). Mean LAmax, LAmin, SV and EF were 127.7 ml, 93 ml, 34.7 ml, 27.1% by the automated, and 122.7 ml, 89.9 ml, 32.8 ml, 26.3% by the manual method with no significant difference (p>0.05) and high Pearsons correlation coefficients (r=0.94, r=0.94, r=0.82 and r=0.85, p<0.0001), respectively. The automated method was significantly faster (p<0.001). Interobserver variability was low for both methods with Pearson's correlation coefficients between 0.98 and 0.99 (p<0.0001).
Conclusions:
Evaluation of LA volume and function with 64-slice MDCT is feasible with a very low interobserver variability. The automatic method is as accurate as the manual method but significantly less time consuming permitting a routine use in clinical practice before RF-catheter ablation.
