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Updated: Jun 13, 2025
Estimating Bilateral Atrial Function by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Feature Tracking in Patients with Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation
Published on: July 20, 2022
A comprehensive evaluation of the left atrium using cardiovascular magnetic resonance
Maurice Pradella1, Mohammed S M Elbaz2, Daniel C Lee3
1Department of Radiology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Insights
Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) offers comprehensive assessment of atrial myopathy, including tissue characterization and hemodynamics. This review details clinical applications and imaging parameters for evaluating the left atrium and its appendage.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Atrial myopathy is an emerging concept in cardiovascular medicine.
- It is particularly relevant in atrial fibrillation, amyloidosis, and heart failure.
- Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is ideal for assessing atrial myopathy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review clinical applications of CMR for atrial myopathy.
- To provide recommendations on pulse sequences and imaging parameters for the left atrium and left atrial appendage.
- To overview current and future applications of left atrium-specific CMR sequences for electrophysiologic (EP) and non-EP uses.
Main Methods:
- This is a review article.
- It synthesizes current knowledge on CMR for atrial myopathy.
- Recommendations are based on established imaging principles and emerging research.
Main Results:
- CMR provides comprehensive assessment of atrial myopathy, including tissue characterization and hemodynamics.
- Specific pulse sequences and parameters are recommended for left atrium and left atrial appendage evaluation.
- Emerging applications in both EP and non-EP fields are discussed.
Conclusions:
- CMR is a powerful tool for assessing atrial myopathy.
- Standardized approaches to CMR imaging of the atria are crucial.
- Future applications of CMR will further enhance understanding and management of atrial diseases.
Abstract:
Atrial disease or myopathy is a growing concept in cardiovascular medicine, particularly in the context of atrial fibrillation, as well as amyloidosis and heart failure. Among cardiac imaging modalities, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is particularly well suited for a comprehensive assessment of atrial myopathy, including tissue characterization and hemodynamics. The goal of this review article is to describe clinical applications and make recommendations on pulse sequences as well as imaging parameters to assess the left atrium and left atrial appendage. Furthermore, we aimed to create an overview of current and promising future emerging applications of left atrium-specific CMR pulse sequences focusing on both electrophysiologic (EP) and non-EP applications.
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