Prevalence of left atrial abnormalities in atrial fibrillation versus normal sinus patients

BackgroundAtrial fibrillation (AF) may be the cause or sequela of left atrial abnormalities and variants.PurposeTo determine the prevalence of left atrial (LA) abnormalities in AF patients compared to normal sinus rhythm (NSR) patients.Material and MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed 281 cardiac CT examinations from 2010 to 2012, excluding patients with prior pulmonary vein ablation, known coronary artery disease, prior coronary stent placement, or coronary artery bypass grafts. The first group consisted of 159 AF patients undergoing cardiac CT prior to pulmonary vein ablation and the second group consisted of 122 NSR patients evaluated with coronary CT angiography. Demographic data were collected. LA abnormalities were analyzed. Left atrial diameter was measured on an axial view.ResultsA total of 281 patients were included. The male gender has significantly higher prevalence of AF than female gender, P value <0.001. Patients with AF were significantly older (mean age, 57.4 years; standard deviation [SD], ...