Intensity and Distribution of Patchy Late Gadolinium Enhancement in Left Atrium in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation.

Purpose: Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies were performed on healthy individuals to establish signal intensity thresholds for reproducible left atrial (LA) patchy LGE detection. Using established criteria, differences in LA patchy LGE between healthy volunteers (HV) and patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) or hypertension were analyzed.

Methods: Fifty-three patents with AF (mean age 56 years, 60% men), 25 patients with hypertension and no history of AF (mean age 54 years, 40% men), and 28 HV (mean age 50 years, 52% men) were enrolled in an observational, non-interventional, case-control prospective study.