Elevated atrial blood stasis in paroxysmal atrial fibrillation during sinus rhythm: a patient-specific computational fluid dynamics study.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is associated with an increased risk of stroke, often caused by thrombi that form in the left atrium (LA), and especially in the left atrial appendage (LAA). The underlying mechanism is not fully understood but is thought to be related to stagnant blood flow, which might be present despite sinus rhythm. However, measuring blood flow and stasis in the LAA is challenging due to its small size and low velocities. We aimed to compare the blood flow and stasis in the left atrium of paroxysmal AF patients with controls using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations.

Methods

The CFD simulations were based on time-resolved computed tomography including the patient-specific cardiac motion. The pipeline allowed for analysis of 21 patients wi

SUBMITTER: Back S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10463733 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature