Sixteen multidetector row computed tomography of pulmonary veins: 3-months' follow-up after treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation with cryothermal ablation

The aim of the study was to assess pulmonary veins (PVs) for the presence of stenosis 3 months after cryothermal ablation (CA) with a new method of electrical isolation of PVs using contrast-enhanced 16 multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT). Twenty four patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation underwent CA in 46 PVs. MDCT of PVs was performed before the treatment and after 3-months' follow-up. Following cryoablation, 13/24 (54%) patients showed clinical improvement and had reduced attacks of atrial fibrillation. The dimensions of the treated PVs remained unchanged: the coronal ostial diameter was 19.1+/-2.4 preprocedural versus 18.6+/-2.4 mm at follow-up, p>0.05; the ratio of the coronal and axial diameters at the ostium was 1.2+/-0.2 versus 1.2+/-0.1, p>0.05, respectively, and the coronal diameter of the proximal 10 mm was 17.1+/-2.5 mm versus 16.5+/-2.2 mm, p>0.05, respectively. CA is a promising technique for electrical isolation of PVs that has not been associated with stenosis at the orifice and the proximal 10 mm of the PVs after 3-months' follow-up. MDCT is a noninvasive, fast and comfortable method for assessment of PVs in a three-dimensional manner prior to ablative treatment and during the follow-up.