The CT-AF project: automated quantification of left atrial subepicardial fat on CT and atrial strain on MRI: contribution to atrial fibrillation ablation
Context
- In heart disease, Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia. Catheter ablation of arrhythmia foci is the standard interventional treatment for patients who are refractory to standard medical therapy (anticoagulant therapy and an antiarrhythmic treatment).
- Previous studies have shown that quantifying atrial fibrosis by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could be a good marker of atrial remodeling and would reliably predict the chances of success of the ablation procedure. However, use of this technique is very limited due to the complexity of quantitative analysis and spatial resolution limits.
- In addition to anatomical assessment, studying subepicardial fat by cardiac CT could therefore be an interesting approach for evaluating the AF substrate..

Project objectives
- Evaluate the prognostic value of a new automated technique for volumetric measurement of intra-myocardial atrial fat on cardiac CT and measurement of global left atrial strain on MRI in patients candidates for a first AF ablation.
- The project also includes many secondary objectives (assessment of clinical characteristics measured by imaging, assessment of the impact of ablation, assessment of relationships between imaging and mapped voltages, assessment of relationships between MRI and circulating biomarkers…).
Patient benefits
Better predicting ablation success will make it possible to better select the patients who will benefit most from this intervention
Study duration
- Total study duration : up to 42 months (24-month inclusion period + between 12 and 18 months of treatment and follow-up)
Overall budget
€204,000
Project leads
Prof. Estelle GANDJBAKHCH (Arrhythmology Unit, INSERM 1166, IHU ICAN, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital)
Dr Mikael LAREDO (Arrhythmology Unit, IHU ICAN, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital)
Prof. Alban REDHEUIL (Cardiovascular and Thoracic Imaging, IHU ICAN, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital)
Prof. Guy GOROCHOV (Immunology Department, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital)
Votre soutien est essentiel pour accélérer la recherche !
Pour en savoir plus, votre contact privilégié :
Francine Trocmé
Direction communication et mécénat
06 81 64 97 88 – f.trocme@ihuican.org







