Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38197916›Full record

ArticleEuropean radiology2024

Epicardial adipose tissue dispersion at CT and recurrent atrial fibrillation after pulmonary vein isolation.

Adrian Thomas Huber, Severin Fankhauser, Severin Wittmer, Laureve Chollet, Anna Lam, Jens Maurhofer, Antonio Madaffari, Jens Seiler, Helge Servatius, Andreas Haeberlin and 7 more

Open access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in European radiology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed
7.6field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed, 19 citations in OpenAlex.

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  10. Cardiac CT for electrophysiological interventions.The international journal of cardiovascular imaging · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

17 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Adrian Thomas Huber *Department of Diagnostic, Interventional and Pediatric Radiology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse, 3010, Bern, Switzerland. adrian.huber@insel.ch.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6146-8238
Severin Fankhauser *Department of Diagnostic, Interventional and Pediatric Radiology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
Severin WittmerDepartment of Cardiology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Laureve CholletDepartment of Cardiology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Anna LamDepartment of Cardiology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Jens MaurhoferDepartment of Cardiology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Antonio MadaffariDepartment of Cardiology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Jens SeilerDepartment of Cardiology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Helge ServatiusDepartment of Cardiology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Andreas HaeberlinDepartment of Cardiology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Fabian NotiDepartment of Cardiology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Nicolas BruggerDepartment of Cardiology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Hendrik von Tengg-KobligkDepartment of Diagnostic, Interventional and Pediatric Radiology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
Christoph GräniDepartment of Cardiology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Laurent RotenDepartment of Cardiology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Hildegard TannerDepartment of Cardiology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Tobias ReichlinDepartment of Cardiology, Inselspital University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
University of Bern · CH

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesEpicardial adipose tissue (EAT) remodeling is associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). Left atrial (LA) EAT dispersion on cardiac CT is a non-invasive imaging biomarker reflecting EAT heterogeneity. We aimed to investigate the association of LA EAT dispersion with AF recurrence after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI).

methodsIn a prospective registry of consecutive patients undergoing first PVI, mean EAT attenuation values were measured on contrast-enhanced cardiac CT scans in Hounsfield units (HU) within low (- 195 to - 45 HU) and high (- 44 to - 15 HU) threshold EAT compartments around the left atrium (LA). EAT dispersion was defined as the difference between the mean HU values within the two EAT compartments. Continuous variables were compared between groups using the Mann-Whitney U test and cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate hazard ratios of predictors of 1-year AF recurrence.

resultsA total of 208 patients were included, 135 with paroxysmal AF and 73 with persistent AF. LA EAT dispersion was significantly larger in patients with persistent compared to paroxysmal AF (52.6 HU vs. 49.9 HU; p = 0.001). After 1 year of follow-up, LA EAT dispersion above the mean (> 50.8 HU) was associated with a higher risk of AF recurrence (HR 2.3, 95% CI 1.5-3.6; p < 0.001). It retained its predictive value when corrected for age, sex, body mass index, LA volume, and AF type (HR 2.8, 95% CI 1.6-4.6; p < 0.001).

conclusionA larger LA EAT dispersion on contrast-enhanced cardiac CT scans, reflecting EAT heterogeneity, is independently associated with AF recurrence after PVI. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Based on LA EAT dispersion assessment, a more accurate risk stratification and patient selection may be possible based on a pre-procedural cardiac CT when planning PVI. KEY POINTS: • Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) remodeling is associated with atrial fibrillation (AF). • A larger left atrial EAT dispersion in a pre-procedural cardiac CT was associated with a higher 1-year AF recurrence risk after pulmonary vein isolation. • A pre-procedural cardiac CT with left atrial EAT dispersion assessment may provide a more accurate risk stratification and patient selection for PVI.

Indexed as

Adipose TissueAtrial FibrillationPericardiumPulmonary VeinsRecurrenceTomography, X-Ray ComputedAgedCatheter AblationContrast MediaEpicardial Adipose TissueFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesRegistriesContrast MediaAdipose tissueAtrial fibrillationCatheter ablationCoronary vesselsMultidetector computed tomography

Identifiers

PMID38197916
PMCPMC11255050
OpenAlexW4390702393

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.