Three-dimensional reconstruction of pulmonary veins in XXXX with atrial fibrillation and controls: morphological characteristics of different veins.

@entity1 @entity943 @entity4406
Multidetector computed tomography can be used to evaluate the anatomy of pulmonary veins (PVs) in @entity1 with AF. The study evaluated two groups. Group 1 included 61 @entity1 assessed following @entity4406 ablation with ultrasound of RF energy. Group 2 included 15 @entity1 undergoing ablation for AF and 14 control subjects without a history of AF matched for age and sex. The anatomy of the PVs was analyzed in this group prior to the ablation and compared to controls. Computed tomography was used to measure the ostium of the left superior, left inferior, right superior, right inferior PVs, and the left atrial appendage size. In group 1, @entity4406 was seen in 14 (30%) of 46 @entity1 undergoing ablation with RF energy and in none of the 15 @entity1 receiving ablation with ultrasound energy. In group 2, the ostium size was not different between @entity1 with AF and controls. Similarly, the ostium of the @entity4406 that appeared to trigger AF was not larger than the ostium of the remaining veins. A "clustering pattern" of @entity4406 branches near the right inferior @entity4406 ostium was seen in almost every @entity1 , independent of the presence of the @entity943 . Computed tomography frequently detects @entity4406 following RF ablation. Ultrasound ablation does not appear to result in @entity4406 narrowing. Overall, @entity1 with AF do not have larger sizes of @entity4406 ostia. Multiple ramifications from the right inferior @entity4406 ostium is a common pattern and may represent a protective anatomic variant.
