Microembolism and catheter ablation II: effects of cerebral microemboli injection in a canine model.

Background: Asymptomatic cerebral lesions have been observed on diffusion weighted MRI (DWI) scans shortly after catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation, but the pathogenesis of these lesions is incompletely understood.

Methods And Results: Twelve dogs underwent selective catheterization of the internal carotid or vertebral arteries. Either a microbubbled mixture of air (1.