Feasibility of late gadolinium enhancement magnetic resonance imaging to detect ablation lesion gaps in patients undergoing cryoballoon ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation

BACKGROUND: Although late gadolinium enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (LGE‐MRI) allows the identification of lesions and gaps after a cryothermal balloon (CB) ablation of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF), the accuracy has not yet been well established. METHODS: The subjects consisted of 10 consecutive patients who underwent a second ablation procedure among our cohort of 80 patients who underwent LGE‐MRI after the CB ablation of PAF. LGE‐MRI scar regions were compared with electroanatomical mapping during the second procedure. In the analysis, the unilateral pulmonary vein (PV) antrum was divided into 7 regions. RESULTS: The gap characterization analysis was performed in 140 regions around 40 PVs in total. There were 16 LGE‐MRI gaps around 11 PVs (mean 1.6 ± 1.4 gaps/patient) in 7 patients and 14 electrical gaps around 10 PVs in 8 patients (mean 1.4 ± 1.1 gaps/patient). The locations of 13 electrical gaps were well matched to that on the LGE‐MRI, whereas the remaining 1 electrical gap had not been predicted on the LGE‐MRI. Compared to the electrical gaps in the second procedure, the sensitivity and specificity of the LGE‐MRI gaps were 93% (13 LGE‐MRI gaps of 14 electrical gaps) and 98% (123 LGE‐MRI scars out of 126 electrical scars), respectively. CONCLUSION: LGE‐MRI can accurately localize the lesion gaps after CB ablation of PAF.