TY - JOUR
T1 - Prevalence and clinical significance of collateral findings detected by chest computed tomography in patients undergoing atrial fibrillation ablation
AU - Casella, Michela
AU - Perna, Francesco
AU - Pontone, Gianluca
AU - Dello Russo, Antonio
AU - Andreini, Daniele
AU - Pelargonio, Gemma
AU - Riva, Stefania
AU - Fassini, Gaetano
AU - Pepi, Mauro
AU - Ballerini, Giovanni
AU - Moltrasio, Massimo
AU - Majocchi, Benedetta
AU - Bartoletti, Stefano
AU - Formenti, Alberto
AU - Santangeli, Pasquale
AU - Di Biase, Luigi
AU - Natale, Andrea
AU - Tondo, Claudio
PY - 2012/2
Y1 - 2012/2
N2 - AimsChest computed tomography (CT) scanning is increasingly used as an imaging technique in patients undergoing atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation. Chest CT scans visualize organs other than the heart and collateral findings may be identified incidentally. Our study aims to assess the prevalence and clinical relevance of such collateral findings in patients undergoing AF ablation.Methods and resultsOne hundred and seventy-three patients (127 males, age 59 ± 10 years) underwent chest CT scan for image integration in AF ablation. Collateral findings from visualized thoracic and upper abdominal organs were collected. Findings that required further investigations or treatment according to current guidelines were considered as clinically significant. A total of 164 collateral findings were identified in 97 (56) patients, and most patients showed abnormalities of the lungs (67 patients, 39). Forty-nine (28) patients had clinically significant findings needing further investigation and 17 (10) of them required specific treatments, including three cases (1.7 ) of lung malignancy.ConclusionsChest CT images acquired for integration in AF ablation should be read thoroughly as they may serve as a screening tool for otherwise unrecognized clinically significant conditions of the heart, lungs, or other visualized organs.
AB - AimsChest computed tomography (CT) scanning is increasingly used as an imaging technique in patients undergoing atrial fibrillation (AF) catheter ablation. Chest CT scans visualize organs other than the heart and collateral findings may be identified incidentally. Our study aims to assess the prevalence and clinical relevance of such collateral findings in patients undergoing AF ablation.Methods and resultsOne hundred and seventy-three patients (127 males, age 59 ± 10 years) underwent chest CT scan for image integration in AF ablation. Collateral findings from visualized thoracic and upper abdominal organs were collected. Findings that required further investigations or treatment according to current guidelines were considered as clinically significant. A total of 164 collateral findings were identified in 97 (56) patients, and most patients showed abnormalities of the lungs (67 patients, 39). Forty-nine (28) patients had clinically significant findings needing further investigation and 17 (10) of them required specific treatments, including three cases (1.7 ) of lung malignancy.ConclusionsChest CT images acquired for integration in AF ablation should be read thoroughly as they may serve as a screening tool for otherwise unrecognized clinically significant conditions of the heart, lungs, or other visualized organs.
KW - Atrial fibrillation ablation
KW - Chest computed tomography
KW - Collateral findings
KW - Image integration
KW - Incidental findings
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U2 - 10.1093/europace/eur300
DO - 10.1093/europace/eur300
M3 - Article
C2 - 21933801
AN - SCOPUS:84856260203
SN - 1099-5129
VL - 14
SP - 209
EP - 216
JO - Europace
JF - Europace
IS - 2
ER -