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The following is a summary of “Value of computed tomography angiography for evaluation of left atrial enlargement in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation,” published in the September 2024 issue of Cardiology by Lin et al.
CTA post-processing technology offers significant advantages in evaluating left atrial enlargement (LAE) in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation (PAF).
Researchers conducted a retrospective study identifying parameters for rapidly and accurately diagnosing LAE in patients with PAF using CT cross-sections.
They performed left atrial pulmonary venous (PV) CT on 300 patients with PAF using dual-source CT and measured left atrial volume (LAV), left atrial anteroposterior diameter (LAD1), left atrial transverse diameter (LAD2), left atrial area (LAA) during ventricular end-systolic (ES) and middle diastolic (MD) phases. LA index (LAI) = LA parameter/body surface area (BSA). A left atrial volume index (LAVIES) > 77.7 ml/m2 was used as the reference standard for LAE diagnosis.
The results showed that 227 patients were enrolled, with 101 (44.5%) having LAE. Strong positive correlations were observed between LAVES and LAVMD (r = 0.983), LAVIES and LAVIMD (r = 0.984), LAAES and LAVIES (r = 0.817), and LAAMD and LAVIES (r = 0.814). The area under curve (AUC) confirmed all measured parameters were effective for diagnosing LAE, with diagnostic efficacy ranked as LAA/LAAI > LAD > relative value index of LAD, LAD2 > LAD1, LAA, and LAAI had similar diagnostic efficacy, but LAA was more easily obtained.
They concluded that axial left atrial appendage measurements by CTA can be used for rapid and accurate diagnosis of LAE in patients with PAF.
Source: bmccardiovascdisord.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12872-024-04187-1
