Impact of mitral isthmus anatomy on the likelihood of achieving linear block in patients undergoing catheter ablation of persistent atrial fibrillation

Abstract

Background: Although prior studies have described the anatomy of the mitral isthmus in patients undergoing left atrial (LA) ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF), none has examined the impact of isthmus anatomy on the likelihood of achieving conduction block.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify morphologic characteristics of the mitral isthmus that may influence the acute efficacy of linear ablation at the mitral isthmus.

Methods: Fifty-five patients (age 61 ± 10 years, 41 [75%] men, LA 46 ± 6 mm, ejection fraction 0.55 ± 0.11, AF duration 4 ± 3 years) underwent linear ablation at the mitral isthmus during an ablation procedure for persistent AF. Computed tomographic scan was performed before the procedure. The morphology of the mitral isthmus and its anatomic relationship to the adjacent vasculature were analyzed.

Results: Complete block along the mitral isthmus was achieved in 35 (64%) of 55 patients, 23 (66%) of whom required radiofrequency ablation in the coronary sinus (CS). Patients with incomplete block were more likely to have a pouch at the isthmus (40% vs 9%; P = .01), a greater isthmus depth (8.1 ± 4.2 mm vs 5.7 ± 3.4 mm; P = .04), and a higher prevalence of an interposed circumflex artery between the CS and the mitral isthmus (60% vs 20%; P = .003) compared to patients with isthmus block. An interposed circumflex artery was the only independent predictor of incomplete conduction block at the mitral isthmus (odds ratio 4.9, 95% confidence interval 1.3-18.2; P = .02).

Conclusion: Preprocedural computed tomographic imaging identifies patients in whom linear ablation at the mitral isthmus is unlikely to be successful. Interposition of the circumflex artery between the mitral isthmus and the CS is associated with a lower probability of achieving complete mitral isthmus block.