P5651Association of left atrial fibrosis extent with left ventricular geometric remodeling and diastolic dysfunction in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation
Authors: Gizatulina T , Pavlov A V , Martyanova L U , Kolunin G V , Shorochova I V , Kharats V E , Khorkova N Y 
Published: October 2019

Introduction

Whether left atrial fibrosis (LAf) in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is a consequence of left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction or primary atrial pathology continues to be a debatable issue. Electroanatomical mapping (EAM) allows to image and to define LAf as a substrate of AF.

Purpose

To study the relationship of LAf extent with LV diastolic function and geometric remodeling in patients (pts) with paroxysmal AF.

Methods

56 pts with paroxysmal AF (mean age 57.1±8.4 years, 31 males), undergone catheter ablation, were enrolled in the study, including 30 pts with arterial hypertension (AH), 15 – with coronary artery disease (CAD) and AH. Comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography was carried out in all pts to assess chamber volumes, systolic and LV diastolic functions and geometry patterns according to Recommendations of ASE and EACVI. Before ablation, EAM was performed in sinus rhythm. The bipolar low voltage areas of LAf were identified with the cut-off <0.5 mV. For the LAf quantification following indicators were calculated: total square of LAf (Sf, cm2) and LAf degree, estimated as an analog of the UTAH staging system, by selection of UTAH I: <5% fibrosis; II: 5–19%; III: 20–35% and IV: >35%.

Results

All patients had preserved systolic LV function. To assess the influence of LV geometry on LAf extent all pts were distributed in accordance to LV geometry patterns (p): normal geometry (pI) – 27 pts, concentric remodeling (pII) – 13, eccentric hypertrophy (pIII) – 10, concentric hypertrophy (pIV) – 6. Pts with pIII were older than pI pts: 60.8±6.4 vs 53.9±10.4 (p=0.048). All pts with pIII and pIV had AH. From 11 pts without AH, 10 had pI of LV geometry. PIII was revealed more often in CAD pts compared to those without CAD: 29.2 vs 10.5% (p=0.04). PIII pts had bigger LA volume compared to pI pts (74.3±22.5 vs 58.8±19.4 ml, p=0.019) and pII pts (61.9±14.9, p=0.05), but LA volume of pIII pts didn't differ from pIV pts (71.9±14.5, p=0.78). PIII pts had more extent Sf than pI pts (28.32±8.9 vs 13.4±6.5, p=0.05), while Sf of pII (17.3±8.7, p=0.495) and pIV pts (16.4±9.5, p=0.699) didn't differ significantly from Sf of pI pts. As for the degree of LAf, UTAH I was absent in pts with pIII and UTAH IV was revealed in 40% of these pts, while in pts with pI UTAH I was in 26% and UTAH IV - in 14.8% (p=0.049). However, Sf and UTAH degree did not depend on age, CAD and heart failure presence. As for diastolic dysfunction, in pIII and pIV pts e∼septal and e∼lateral were lower compared to pI pts: 6.3±1.9, 5.5±2.4 vs 8.5±2.2 (p<0.01) and 8.2±2.7, 8.0±3.8 vs 11.3±2.9 (p<0.01), respectively, while E/e∼ in pIII pts didn't differ from pI pts (8.0±1.6 vs 7.2±1.6, p=0.17), but in pIV was more than in pI pts (10.4±2.8, p=0.003).

Conclusion

LAf extent in paroxysmal AF is associated more with such LV geometry pattern as eccentric hypertrophy, than with diastolic disorders, which accompany both eccentric and concentric hypertrophy.