Left atrial structural remodelling in non-valvular atrial fibrillation: What have we learnt from CMR?

Abstract

Left atrial structural, functional and electrical remodelling are linked to atrial fibrillation (AF) pathophysiology and mirror the phrase "AF begets AF". A structurally remodelled left atrium (LA) is fibrotic, dysfunctional and enlarged. Fibrosis is the hallmark of LA structural remodelling and is associated with increased risk of stroke, heart failure development and/or progression and poorer catheter ablation outcomes with increased recurrence rates. Moreover, increased atrial fibrosis has been associated with higher rates of stroke even in sinus-rhythm individuals. As such, properly assessing the fibrotic atrial cardiomyopathy in AF patients becomes necessary. In this respect, late-gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance (LGE-CMR) imaging is the gold standard in imaging myocardial fibrosis. LA structural remodelling extension offers both diagnostic and prognostic information and influences therapeutic choices. LGE-CMR scans can be used before the procedure to better select candidates and to aid in choosing the ablation technique, during the procedure (full CMR-guided ablations) and after the ablation (to assess the ablation scar). This review focuses on imaging several LA structural remodelling CMR parameters, including size, shape and fibrosis (both extension and architecture) and their impact on procedure outcomes, recurrence risk, as well as their utility in relation to the index procedure timing.