Contrast-enhanced computed tomography in the venous rather than the arterial phase is essential for the evaluation of the right phrenic nerve.

Background: Preprocedural detection of the running course of the right pericardiophrenic bundles (PBs) is considered to be useful in preventing phrenic nerve (PN) injury during catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation (AF). However, previous studies using the arterial phase of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) reported a relatively low right PBs detection rate.

Methods: This study included 63 patients with AF who underwent catheter ablation and preoperative contrast-enhanced CT imaging of the venous and arterial phases (66.

Treatment with catheter ablation for patients with arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy caused by atrial fibrillation promises a good prognosis.

Clinical outcomes after catheter ablation in patients with reduced left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (EF) and atrial fibrillation (AF) remain unclear. This study aimed to explore the clinical outcomes of patients with arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy (AIC) and the influence of pharmacological treatment on clinical outcomes in patients with AIC after the procedure. Ninety-six patients with AF with a reduced LVEF (LVEF < 50%, 66.

Low troponin I levels predict the presence of arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy in patients with atrial fibrillation and left ventricular systolic dysfunction.

Successful atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation can improve reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) with AF, which is defined as arrhythmia-induced cardiomyopathy (AIC). However, it is difficult to pre-procedurally predict the presence of AIC. We aimed to explore the pre-procedural predictors of AIC in patients with AF and reduced LVEF.

Subclinical sinus node dysfunction in patients with atrial fibrillation-Insight from ultrahigh-resolution mapping of human sinoatrial exits.

Background: Even a short duration of paroxysmal episodes of atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with sinus node (SN) remodeling and a reduced SN reserve or dysfunction. The number of earliest atrial activation sites (EASs) during sinus rhythm decreases according to the decrease in the SN reserve.

Objective: We sought to evaluate the EASs during sinus rhythm using an ultrahigh-density mapping system.

Evaluation of cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation lesions during the acute and chronic phases using a high-resolution mapping system.

Background: An acute cryothermal ablation lesion contains both reversible and irreversible elements. However, differences in lesions created with cryoballoon pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) between the acute and chronic phases have not been fully elucidated.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 23 consecutive patients with atrial fibrillation who underwent cryoballoon PVI during the initial procedure followed by a second ablation procedure.

DDD mode-switching and loss of atrioventricular synchrony evokes heart failure: A rare but possible trigger of pacing-induced cardiomyopathy.

Pacing-induced cardiomyopathy (PICM), defined as left ventricular dysfunction, occurs in the setting of chronic, high burden right ventricular pacing. We describe an unusual case of PICM. A 64-year-old man underwent a medical check-up and was diagnosed with complete atrioventricular block (AVB) with regular and slow ventricular contractions at 38 beats/min (bpm).

[Clinicopathological analysis of 3 cases in which pulmonary metastasis from the urothelial carcinoma was resected].

We describe 3 cases in which the pulmonary metastasis from the urothelial carcinoma of the bladder and upper urinary tract was resected. The duration from the operation of the primary lesion to the occurrence of the pulmonary metastasis was 19, 11, and 4 years in each of the 3 cases. Repeated treatment of the local recurrence was performed in all the 3 cases.

[Retroperitoneal ganglioneuroma: a case report].

A 67-year-old male presented for examination of a retroperitoneal tumor, incidentally found by abdominal computed tomography (CT). CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a round heterogeneous tumor, 10 cm in diameter, at the left renal hilus and involving the left renal vein. The tumor was low-intensity on T1-weighted MRI imaging, and high-intensity on T2-weight MRI imaging.