Iodine-123 mIBG Imaging for Predicting the Development of Atrial Fibrillation

Abstract

cardiac SNS abnormality was associated with the occurrence of both HF and permanent AF in paroxysmal AF patients, and (123)I-mIBG imaging may be a useful modality for predicting the development of AF.

Association Between Left and Right Atrial Remodeling With Atrial Fibrillation Recurrence After Pulmonary Vein Catheter Ablation in Patients With Paroxysmal Atrial Fibrillation

“…We recently reported on the risk factors which perpetuated AF in patients with paroxysmal AF, 14 but the risk factors for the transition from paroxysmal to permanent forms of AF are not the same as those for the late AF recurrence after intervention therapy. A recent report from a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute workshop has recommended research on the factors that influence secondary prevention delaying AF recurrence.…”

Impact of atrial fibrillation ablation on cardiac sympathetic nervous system in patients with and without heart failure

“…The main findings were as follows: [1] patients with heart failure tended to have decreased sympathetic nervous distribution (lower H/M 15 min ) and enhanced sympathetic tone (higher WR) at baseline; [2] neither sympathetic nervous distribution nor its tone changed post-ablation in the majority of patients; [3] among those with heart failure, an attenuation of excessive sympathetic nervous tone was observed (decrease in WR) post-ablation; [4] among those without heart failure, the sympathetic nervous tone became slightly enhanced (increase in the WR and decrease in the H/M 240 min ) postablation; and [5] a residual high sympathetic tone post-ablation independently predicted AF recurrence.…”

“…Scintigraphy with cardiac iodine-123-metaiodobenzylguanidine ( 123 I-mIBG) enables the reliable visualization of abnormal behavior of norepinephrine at sympathetic nerve endings and has been used in several studies to assess sympathetic nervous dysfunction such as AF and heart failure [1][2][3]. Here, we investigated the impact of AF ablation on the cardiac sympathetic nervous system using 123 I-mIBG scintigraphy in AF patients with and without heart failure.…”

“…When patients experienced symptoms suggestive of arrhythmia, a surface ECG, ambulatory ECG, and/or cardiac event recording were also obtained. Any of the following events after the initial 3 months from ablation were considered to indicate AF recurrence: [1] AF (or any other atrial tachyarrhythmia) recorded on a routine or symptom-triggered ECG during the outpatient visit, or [2] AF of at least 30 sec duration on the ambulatory ECG monitoring. Early AF recurrence was defined as recurrence during an initial blanking period of 3 months post-ablation and was treated by pharmacological or electrical cardioversion as soon as possible.…”

Cardiac autonomic imaging with SPECT tracers

“…Akutsu et al 155 found that in HF patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF), a decreased H/M was independently predictive of transition to permanent AF.…”