3.2 Association between anatomical and electrophysiologic features and LVZs
Electrophysiologic features of the LVZs and CT-based measurements are shown per study group in Table 2. On voltage mapping, 1263 ± 623 points were obtained per patient. In all patients, the NCC and LCC were in contact with the anterior LA wall, and they overlapped the LVZs. A 3D mapping image and anatomical contact between the LA and ascending aorta in a patient with such LVZs is shown in Figure 3. Median size (area) of the LVZs at LA-ascending aorta contact areas was 2.3 (1.1–4.0) cm2.
The aorta-LA angle was smaller (21.0±7.7° vs. 24.9±7.1°;P = 0.015), the aorta-LV angle was larger (131.3±8.8° vs. 126.0±7.9°; P = 0.005), and the NCC surface diameter was greater (20.4±2.2 mm vs. 19.3±2.5 mm; P = 0.036) in the LVZ Group than in the No LVZ Group (Figure 2A-C).
Results of correlation analysis are shown in Figures 4 and 5. Significant inverse correlation was found between size of the LVZs at LA-ascending aorta contact areas and size of the aorta-LA angle, and significant positive correlation was found between size of these LVZs and size of the aorta-LV angle and of the NCC diameter (Figure 4). Furthermore, NCCs were closer to the anterior LA wall in the LVZ Group than in the No LVZ Group (2.29±0.68 mm vs. 2.76±0.79 mm, respectively; P = 0.006), but there was no between-group difference in the diameters of the RCC and LCC or in the distance between the LCC and LA (Figure2C). Significant inverse correlation was found between the aorta-LV angle and patients’ BW and BMI, and significant positive correlation was found between the aorta-LA angle and patients’ BMI (Figure 5).