Journal Article Review Epublish
PubMed: 42512838 DOI: 10.3390/medicina62071296
The Role of Multimodality Imaging in Atrial Fibrillation and Heart Failure: From Patient Selection to Procedural Ablation Guidance.
Medicina (Kaunas) 62(7)
Authors: Elena Marchetti, Angelo Melpignano, Rita Pavasini, Michele Malagù, Francesco Vitali, Laura Rotondo, Maria Lo Monaco, Rocco Mollace, Gianluca Campo, Matteo Bertini, Federico Marchini
Affiliations
- Cardiology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria di Ferrara, Via Aldo Moro 8, 44124 Ferrara, Italy.
- Cardiovascular Institute, Ospedale Humanitas Gavazzeni, Via Mauro Gavazzeni 21, 24125 Bergamo, Italy.
Abstract
Atrial fibrillation (AF) and heart failure (HF) frequently coexist and mutually worsen prognosis, creating a complex clinical scenario in which treatment decisions are increasingly imaging driven. Catheter ablation has emerged as a pivotal rhythm control strategy in selected patients with HF, but careful phenotyping of the atrial and ventricular substrate is essential to balance potential benefits against procedural risk and the likelihood of durable sinus rhythm. In this narrative review, we summarize the role of multimodality imaging across the entire AF care pathway in patients with HF, from candidate selection to intraprocedural guidance and post-ablation follow-up. Ultrasound imaging remains the cornerstone of pre-procedural assessment. Cardiac computed tomography (CCT) refines anatomical characterization of the left atrium, pulmonary veins, and left atrial appendage. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) offers comprehensive tissue characterization of atrial and ventricular fibrosis, allowing distinction between atrial primary and atrial secondary AF phenotypes and informing expectations of reverse remodelling. During ablation, intracardiac echocardiography and transesophageal echocardiography optimize transseptal access, catheter navigation, and complication monitoring, and they are particularly relevant with contemporary Pulsed Field Ablation systems. In follow-up, echocardiography, CCT, and CMR are pivotal for quantifying structural reverse remodelling and detecting rare but life-threatening complications such as atrio esophageal fistula and pulmonary vein stenosis. An integrated, multimodality, substrate-based imaging strategy is therefore crucial to personalize rhythm versus rate control decisions and to guide safe, effective ablation in patients with AF and HF.
MeSH
Pulmonary Veins, Heart Failure, Heart, Atrial Fibrillation, Echocardiography, Veins