1
|
Sharp AJ, Betts TR, Banerjee A. Leveraging 3D Atrial Geometry for the Evaluation of Atrial Fibrillation: A Comprehensive Review. J Clin Med 2024; 13:4442. [PMID: 39124709 PMCID: PMC11313299 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13154442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2024] [Revised: 07/19/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Managing risk of stroke and AF burden are pillars of AF management. Atrial geometry has long been recognized as a useful measure in achieving these goals. However, traditional diagnostic approaches often overlook the complex spatial dynamics of the atria. This review explores the emerging role of three-dimensional (3D) atrial geometry in the evaluation and management of AF. Advancements in imaging technologies and computational modeling have enabled detailed reconstructions of atrial anatomy, providing insights into the pathophysiology of AF that were previously unattainable. We examine current methodologies for interpreting 3D atrial data, including qualitative, basic quantitative, global quantitative, and statistical shape modeling approaches. We discuss their integration into clinical practice, highlighting potential benefits such as personalized treatment strategies, improved outcome prediction, and informed treatment approaches. Additionally, we discuss the challenges and limitations associated with current approaches, including technical constraints and variable interpretations, and propose future directions for research and clinical applications. This comprehensive review underscores the transformative potential of leveraging 3D atrial geometry in the evaluation and management of AF, advocating for its broader adoption in clinical practice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J. Sharp
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
| | - Timothy R. Betts
- Cardiology Department, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| | - Abhirup Banerjee
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7DQ, UK
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Saha S, Linz D, Saha D, McEwan A, Baumert M. Overcoming Uncertainties in Electrogram-Based Atrial Fibrillation Mapping: A Review. Cardiovasc Eng Technol 2024; 15:52-64. [PMID: 37962813 DOI: 10.1007/s13239-023-00696-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
In clinical rhythmology, intracardiac bipolar electrograms (EGMs) play a critical role in investigating the triggers and substrates inducing and perpetuating atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the interpretation of bipolar EGMs is ambiguous due to several aspects of electrodes, mapping algorithms and wave propagation dynamics, so it requires several variables to describe the effects of these uncertainties on EGM analysis. In this narrative review, we critically evaluate the potential impact of such uncertainties on the design of cardiac mapping tools on AF-related substrate characterization. Literature suggest uncertainties are due to several variables, including the wave propagation vector, the wave's incidence angle, inter-electrode spacing, electrode size and shape, and tissue contact. The preprocessing of the EGM signals and mapping density will impact the electro-anatomical representation and the features extracted from the local electrical activities. The superposition of multiple waves further complicates EGM interpretation. The inclusion of these uncertainties is a nontrivial problem but their consideration will yield a better interpretation of the intra-atrial dynamics in local activation patterns. From a translational perspective, this review provides a concise but complete overview of the critical variables for developing more precise cardiac mapping tools.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Simanto Saha
- School of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2008, Australia.
| | - Dominik Linz
- Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
| | - Dyuti Saha
- Kumudini Women's Medical College, The University of Dhaka, Tangail, 1940, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Alistair McEwan
- School of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2008, Australia
| | - Mathias Baumert
- School of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5000, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Galappaththige S, Pathmanathan P, Gray RA. A computational modeling framework for pre-clinical evaluation of cardiac mapping systems. Front Physiol 2023; 14:1074527. [PMID: 37485068 PMCID: PMC10358980 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1074527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
There are a variety of difficulties in evaluating clinical cardiac mapping systems, most notably the inability to record the transmembrane potential throughout the entire heart during patient procedures which prevents the comparison to a relevant "gold standard". Cardiac mapping systems are comprised of hardware and software elements including sophisticated mathematical algorithms, both of which continue to undergo rapid innovation. The purpose of this study is to develop a computational modeling framework to evaluate the performance of cardiac mapping systems. The framework enables rigorous evaluation of a mapping system's ability to localize and characterize (i.e., focal or reentrant) arrhythmogenic sources in the heart. The main component of our tool is a library of computer simulations of various dynamic patterns throughout the entire heart in which the type and location of the arrhythmogenic sources are known. Our framework allows for performance evaluation for various electrode configurations, heart geometries, arrhythmias, and electrogram noise levels and involves blind comparison of mapping systems against a "silver standard" comprised of computer simulations in which the precise transmembrane potential patterns throughout the heart are known. A feasibility study was performed using simulations of patterns in the human left atria and three hypothetical virtual catheter electrode arrays. Activation times (AcT) and patterns (AcP) were computed for three virtual electrode arrays: two basket arrays with good and poor contact and one high-resolution grid with uniform spacing. The average root mean squared difference of AcTs of electrograms and those of the nearest endocardial action potential was less than 1 ms and therefore appears to be a poor performance metric. In an effort to standardize performance evaluation of mapping systems a novel performance metric is introduced based on the number of AcPs identified correctly and those considered spurious as well as misclassifications of arrhythmia type; spatial and temporal localization accuracy of correctly identified patterns was also quantified. This approach provides a rigorous quantitative analysis of cardiac mapping system performance. Proof of concept of this computational evaluation framework suggests that it could help safeguard that mapping systems perform as expected as well as provide estimates of system accuracy.
Collapse
|
4
|
Ganesan P, Deb B, Feng R, Rodrigo M, Ruiperez-Campillo S, Rogers AJ, Clopton P, Wang PJ, Zeemering S, Schotten U, Rappel WJ, Narayan SM. Quantifying a spectrum of clinical response in atrial tachyarrhythmias using spatiotemporal synchronization of electrograms. Europace 2023; 25:euad055. [PMID: 36932716 PMCID: PMC10227659 DOI: 10.1093/europace/euad055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS There is a clinical spectrum for atrial tachyarrhythmias wherein most patients with atrial tachycardia (AT) and some with atrial fibrillation (AF) respond to ablation, while others do not. It is undefined if this clinical spectrum has pathophysiological signatures. This study aims to test the hypothesis that the size of spatial regions showing repetitive synchronized electrogram (EGM) shapes over time reveals a spectrum from AT, to AF patients who respond acutely to ablation, to AF patients without acute response. METHODS AND RESULTS We studied n = 160 patients (35% women, 65.0 ± 10.4 years) of whom (i) n = 75 had AF terminated by ablation propensity matched to (ii) n = 75 without AF termination and (iii) n = 10 with AT. All patients had mapping by 64-pole baskets to identify areas of repetitive activity (REACT) to correlate unipolar EGMs in shape over time. Synchronized regions (REACT) were largest in AT, smaller in AF termination, and smallest in non-termination cohorts (0.63 ± 0.15, 0.37 ± 0.22, and 0.22 ± 0.18, P < 0.001). Area under the curve for predicting AF termination in hold-out cohorts was 0.72 ± 0.03. Simulations showed that lower REACT represented greater variability in clinical EGM timing and shape. Unsupervised machine learning of REACT and extensive (50) clinical variables yielded four clusters of increasing risk for AF termination (P < 0.01, χ2), which were more predictive than clinical profiles alone (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION The area of synchronized EGMs within the atrium reveals a spectrum of clinical response in atrial tachyarrhythmias. These fundamental EGM properties, which do not reflect any predetermined mechanism or mapping technology, predict outcome and offer a platform to compare mapping tools and mechanisms between AF patient groups.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Prasanth Ganesan
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, 453 Quarry Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Brototo Deb
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, 453 Quarry Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Ruibin Feng
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, 453 Quarry Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Miguel Rodrigo
- Electronic Engineering Department, Universitat de Valencia, Av. de Blasco Ibáñez, 13, 46010 València, Spain
| | - Samuel Ruiperez-Campillo
- Electronic Engineering Department, Universitat de Valencia, Av. de Blasco Ibáñez, 13, 46010 València, Spain
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Albert J Rogers
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, 453 Quarry Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Paul Clopton
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, 453 Quarry Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Paul J Wang
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, 453 Quarry Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| | - Stef Zeemering
- Department of Physiology, Maastricht University, 6211 LK Maastricht, 616 6200, Netherlands
| | - Ulrich Schotten
- Department of Physiology, Maastricht University, 6211 LK Maastricht, 616 6200, Netherlands
| | - Wouter-Jan Rappel
- Department of Physics, University of California, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Sanjiv M Narayan
- Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University, 453 Quarry Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
DG-Mapping: a novel software package for the analysis of any type of reentry and focal activation of simulated, experimental or clinical data of cardiac arrhythmia. Med Biol Eng Comput 2022; 60:1929-1945. [DOI: 10.1007/s11517-022-02550-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
|
6
|
Pope MT, Betts TR. Global Substrate Mapping and Targeted Ablation with Novel Gold-tip Catheter in De Novo Persistent AF. Arrhythm Electrophysiol Rev 2022; 11:e06. [PMID: 35755327 PMCID: PMC9204651 DOI: 10.15420/aer.2021.64] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Results from catheter ablation for persistent AF are suboptimal, with no strategy other than pulmonary vein isolation showing clear benefit. Recently employed empirical strategies beyond pulmonary vein isolation involve widespread atrial ablation in all patients and do not take into account patient-specific differences in AF mechanisms or phenotype. Charge density mapping using the non-contact AcQMap system (Acutus Medical) allows visualisation of whole-chamber activation during AF and reveals localised patterns of complex activation thought to represent important mechanisms for AF maintenance that can be targeted with focal ablation. In this review, the authors outline the fundamentals of this technology, the initial data exploring the mechanistic role of activation patterns seen and the application to ablation of persistent AF.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Tb Pope
- Department of Cardiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.,Department for Human Development and Health, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK
| | - Timothy R Betts
- Department of Cardiology, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK.,University of Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Lebert J, Ravi N, Fenton FH, Christoph J. Rotor Localization and Phase Mapping of Cardiac Excitation Waves Using Deep Neural Networks. Front Physiol 2022; 12:782176. [PMID: 34975536 PMCID: PMC8718715 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.782176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The analysis of electrical impulse phenomena in cardiac muscle tissue is important for the diagnosis of heart rhythm disorders and other cardiac pathophysiology. Cardiac mapping techniques acquire local temporal measurements and combine them to visualize the spread of electrophysiological wave phenomena across the heart surface. However, low spatial resolution, sparse measurement locations, noise and other artifacts make it challenging to accurately visualize spatio-temporal activity. For instance, electro-anatomical catheter mapping is severely limited by the sparsity of the measurements, and optical mapping is prone to noise and motion artifacts. In the past, several approaches have been proposed to create more reliable maps from noisy or sparse mapping data. Here, we demonstrate that deep learning can be used to compute phase maps and detect phase singularities in optical mapping videos of ventricular fibrillation, as well as in very noisy, low-resolution and extremely sparse simulated data of reentrant wave chaos mimicking catheter mapping data. The self-supervised deep learning approach is fundamentally different from classical phase mapping techniques. Rather than encoding a phase signal from time-series data, a deep neural network instead learns to directly associate phase maps and the positions of phase singularities with short spatio-temporal sequences of electrical data. We tested several neural network architectures, based on a convolutional neural network (CNN) with an encoding and decoding structure, to predict phase maps or rotor core positions either directly or indirectly via the prediction of phase maps and a subsequent classical calculation of phase singularities. Predictions can be performed across different data, with models being trained on one species and then successfully applied to another, or being trained solely on simulated data and then applied to experimental data. Neural networks provide a promising alternative to conventional phase mapping and rotor core localization methods. Future uses may include the analysis of optical mapping studies in basic cardiovascular research, as well as the mapping of atrial fibrillation in the clinical setting.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Lebert
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Namita Ravi
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States.,Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Flavio H Fenton
- School of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jan Christoph
- Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Quah JX, Dharmaprani D, Lahiri A, Tiver K, Ganesan AN. Reconceptualising Atrial Fibrillation Using Renewal Theory: A Novel Approach to the Assessment of Atrial Fibrillation Dynamics. Arrhythm Electrophysiol Rev 2021; 10:77-84. [PMID: 34401179 PMCID: PMC8335853 DOI: 10.15420/aer.2020.42] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite a century of research, the mechanisms of AF remain unresolved. A universal motif within AF research has been unstable re-entry, but this remains poorly characterised, with competing key conceptual paradigms of multiple wavelets and more driving rotors. Understanding the mechanisms of AF is clinically relevant, especially with regard to treatment and ablation of the more persistent forms of AF. Here, the authors outline the surprising but reproducible finding that unstable re-entrant circuits are born and destroyed at quasi-stationary rates, a finding based on a branch of mathematics known as renewal theory. Renewal theory may be a way to potentially unify the multiple wavelet and rotor theories. The renewal rate constants are potentially attractive because they are temporally stable parameters of a defined probability distribution (the exponential distribution) and can be estimated with precision and accuracy due to the principles of renewal theory. In this perspective review, this new representational architecture for AF is explained and placed into context, and the clinical and mechanistic implications are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Xian Quah
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Dhani Dharmaprani
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Anandaroop Lahiri
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Kathryn Tiver
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Anand N Ganesan
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Mandapati R, Contractor T, Bhardwaj R. Role of Scar and Rotors in Persistent Atrial Fibrillation: Miles to Go Before We Sleep. JACC Clin Electrophysiol 2021; 7:920-922. [PMID: 34294390 DOI: 10.1016/j.jacep.2021.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ravi Mandapati
- Department of Cardiology, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, California, USA.
| | - Tahmeed Contractor
- Department of Cardiology, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, California, USA
| | - Rahul Bhardwaj
- Department of Cardiology, Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Van Nieuwenhuyse E, Martinez-Mateu L, Saiz J, Panfilov AV, Vandersickel N. Directed graph mapping exceeds phase mapping in discriminating true and false rotors detected with a basket catheter in a complex in-silico excitation pattern. Comput Biol Med 2021; 133:104381. [PMID: 33901713 PMCID: PMC8204274 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2021.104381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most frequently encountered arrhythmia in clinical practise. One of the major problems in the management of AF is the difficulty in identifying the arrhythmia sources from clinical recordings. That difficulty occurs because it is currently impossible to verify algorithms which determine these sources in clinical data, as high resolution true excitation patterns cannot be recorded in patients. Therefore, alternative approaches, like computer modelling are of great interest. In a recent published study such an approach was applied for the verification of one of the most commonly used algorithms, phase mapping (PM). A meandering rotor was simulated in the right atrium and a basket catheter was placed at 3 different locations: at the Superior Vena Cava (SVC), the Crista Terminalis (CT) and at the Coronary Sinus (CS). It was shown that although PM can identify the true source, it also finds several false sources due to the far-field effects and interpolation errors in all three positions. In addition, the detection efficiency strongly depended on the basket location. Recently, a novel tool was developed to analyse any arrhythmia called Directed Graph Mapping (DGM). DGM is based on network theory and creates a directed graph of the excitation pattern, from which the location and the source of the arrhythmia can be detected. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to compare the efficiency of DGM with PM on the basket dataset of this meandering rotor. The DGM-tool was applied for a wide variety of conduction velocities (minimal and maximal), which are input parameters of DGM. Overall we found that DGM was able to distinguish between the true rotor and false rotors for both the SVC and CT basket positions. For example, for the SVC position with a CVmin=0.01cmms, DGM detected the true core with a prevalence of 82% versus 94% for PM. Three false rotors where detected for 39.16% (DGM) versus 100% (PM); 22.64% (DGM) versus 100% (PM); and 0% (DGM) versus 57% (PM). Increasing CVmin to 0.02cmms had a stronger effect on the false rotors than on the true rotor. This led to a detection rate of 56.6% for the true rotor, while all the other false rotors disappeared. A similar trend was observed for the CT position. For the CS position, DGM already had a low performance for the true rotor for CVmin=0.01cmms (14.7%). For CVmin=0.02cmms the false and the true rotors could therefore not be distinguished. We can conclude that DGM can overcome some of the limitations of PM by varying one of its input parameters (CVmin). The true rotor is less dependent on this parameter than the false rotors, which disappear at a CVmin=0.02cmms. In order to increase to detection rate of the true rotor, one can decrease CVmin and discard the new rotors which also appear at lower values of CVmin.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Martinez-Mateu
- Departamento de Teoría de La Señal y Las Comunicaciones y Sistemas Telemáticos y Computación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
| | - Javier Saiz
- Centro de Investigación e Innovación en Bioingeniería, Universitat Politècnica de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Alexander V Panfilov
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; Ural Federal University, Ekaterinburg, Russia; World-Class Research Center "Digital Biodesign and Personalized Healthcare", Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nele Vandersickel
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Kulikov AA, Sapelnikov OV, Uskach TM, Cherkashin DI, Grishin IR, Akchurin RS. Rotor Drivers in Induction and Maintenance of Atrial Fibrillation. RATIONAL PHARMACOTHERAPY IN CARDIOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.20996/1819-6446-2021-04-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Atrial fibrillation is the most common arrhythmia in clinical practice. It is associated with an increased risk of stroke, chronic heart failure, and sudden cardiac death. Our options of restoring and maintaining sinus rhythm have a very limited effect, both in the case of antiarrhythmic and catheter treatment. Catheter ablation has proven to be a more effective approach than antiarrhythmic therapy. The success rate of the procedure reaches 70%. However, radiofrequency ablation is associated with a risk of complications, with 4.5% of patients likely to develop major complications, including tamponade (1.31%), femoral pseudoaneurysm (0.71%), and death (0.15%). Given the generally recognized dominant role of the pulmonary veins in the induction of atrial fibrillation, their electrical isolation has become the recommended tactic of the catheter approach. In the case of patients with paroxysmal form of atrial fibrillation, the success rate of the procedure reaches 87%. Unfortunately, in the case of persistent forms of atrial fibrillation, the effectiveness of the primary procedure decreases to 28% and reaches 51% with repeated interventions. In addition to the anatomically oriented isolation of the pulmonary veins, a number of strategies have been proposed to reach the secondary zones of atrial fibrillation induction. The results of recent studies on the effectiveness of strategies for ablation of rotor regions and their role in the induction and maintenance of AF may lead to the further development of catheter ablation techniques and an individual radiofrequency ablation approach in a particular patient.
Collapse
|
12
|
Tribulova N, Kurahara LH, Hlivak P, Hirano K, Szeiffova Bacova B. Pro-Arrhythmic Signaling of Thyroid Hormones and Its Relevance in Subclinical Hyperthyroidism. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E2844. [PMID: 32325836 PMCID: PMC7215427 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21082844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 04/06/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A perennial task is to prevent the occurrence and/or recurrence of most frequent or life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation (AF) and ventricular fibrillation (VF). VF may be lethal in cases without an implantable cardioverter defibrillator or with failure of this device. Incidences of AF, even the asymptomatic ones, jeopardize the patient's life due to its complication, notably the high risk of embolic stroke. Therefore, there has been a growing interest in subclinical AF screening and searching for novel electrophysiological and molecular markers. Considering the worldwide increase in cases of thyroid dysfunction and diseases, including thyroid carcinoma, we aimed to explore the implication of thyroid hormones in pro-arrhythmic signaling in the pathophysiological setting. The present review provides updated information about the impact of altered thyroid status on both the occurrence and recurrence of cardiac arrhythmias, predominantly AF. Moreover, it emphasizes the importance of both thyroid status monitoring and AF screening in the general population, as well as in patients with thyroid dysfunction and malignancies. Real-world data on early AF identification in relation to thyroid function are scarce. Even though symptomatic AF is rare in patients with thyroid malignancies, who are under thyroid suppressive therapy, clinicians should be aware of potential interaction with asymptomatic AF. It may prevent adverse consequences and improve the quality of life. This issue may be challenging for an updated registry of AF in clinical practice. Thyroid hormones should be considered a biomarker for cardiac arrhythmias screening and their tailored management because of their multifaceted cellular actions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Narcis Tribulova
- Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute for Heart Research, 84104 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Lin Hai Kurahara
- Department of Cardiovascular Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa 76 0793, Japan; (L.H.K.); (K.H.)
| | - Peter Hlivak
- Department of Arrhythmias and Pacing, National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Pod Krásnou Hôrkou 1, 83348 Bratislava, Slovakia;
| | - Katsuya Hirano
- Department of Cardiovascular Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, Kagawa 76 0793, Japan; (L.H.K.); (K.H.)
| | - Barbara Szeiffova Bacova
- Centre of Experimental Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute for Heart Research, 84104 Bratislava, Slovakia
| |
Collapse
|