Impact of left atrial volume, sphericity and fibrosis on the outcome of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation.

Introduction: To investigate the relation between left atrial (LA) volume, sphericity, and fibrotic content derived from contrast-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CE-CMR) and their impact on the outcome of catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods and results: In 83 patients undergoing catheter ablation for AF, CE-CMR was used to assess LA volume, sphericity, and fibrosis. There was a significant correlation between LA volume and sphericity (R = 0.535, P <0.001) and between LA volume and fibrosis (R = 0.241, P = 0.029). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that LA volume was the strongest independent predictor of AF recurrence after catheter ablation (1.019, P = 0.018). Conclusion: LA volume, sphericity, and fibrosis were closely related; however, LA volume was the strongest predictor of AF recurrence after catheter ablation.