Ablation of Ventricular and Atrial Arrhythmias in the Era of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance

Abstract

In the past decade, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has undergone remarkable progress, emerging as a pivotal tool in various cardiological scenarios. Its capacity for tissue characterization, both with and without contrast agents, makes CMR the perfect tool to study the substrate of arrhythmia. This review highlights the potential role of CMR in electrophysiology (EP) and its role in the ablation of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias. First, we will discuss the key aspects of ventricular arrhythmia ablation, while in the second part, we will review how CMR is changing the ablation of atrial arrhythmias. The potentiality of CMR in the pre-procedural, intra-procedural, and post-ablation assessment will be reviewed. In particular, CMR is capable of visualizing fibrosis and building 3D reconstruction. Furthermore, it is possible to merge a 3D-rendered shell of the heart into the EP room to guide radiation-free ablation through active or passive tracking. Finally, the accuracy of CMR in depicting ablation lesions and its ability to predict arrhythmia relapses will be discussed.