A comparative study of pericardial effusion and pleural effusion after cryoballoon ablation or radiofrequency catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation

• Published in: Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology 2020-05, Vol.31 (5), p.1062-1067
• Main Authors: Xiao, Fang Yi, Ju, Wei Zhu, Chen, Hong Wu, Huang, Wei Jian, Chen, Minglong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Angiography; atrial fibrillation; Atrial Fibrillation - diagnosis; Atrial Fibrillation - epidemiology; Atrial Fibrillation - surgery; Biomarkers - blood; Calcium-binding protein; Cardiac arrhythmia; catheter ablation; Catheter Ablation - adverse effects; Catheters; Chest; China - epidemiology; Computed tomography; Cryosurgery - adverse effects; Echocardiography; Electrocardiography; Female; Fibrillation; Humans; Incidence; Male; Middle Aged; pericardial effusion; Pericardial Effusion - diagnostic imaging; Pericardial Effusion - epidemiology; Pleural effusion; Pleural Effusion - diagnostic imaging; Pleural Effusion - epidemiology; Radiofrequency ablation; Risk Factors; Time Factors; Tomography, X-Ray Computed; Treatment Outcome; Troponin; Troponin I; Troponin I - blood
• ISSN: 1045-3873; 1540-8167
• DOI: 10.1111/jce.14423

Introduction The incidence and clinical outcome of pericardial and pleural effusion after cryoballoon ablation (CBA) or radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) of atrial fibrillation (AF) have not been fully investigated. Methods A total of 60 patients with paroxysmal AF were treated with either CBA (n = 30) or RFCA (n = 30) groups, with assessment of serum troponin I level, left atrial pulmonary vein computed tomography (CT) angiography and echocardiography within 24 hours before ablation, and serum troponin I level at 12 hours, and chest CT and echocardiography within 24 hours postablation. Repeat chest CT was performed 1 month after the index procedure in patients with pericardial or pleural effusion. Results With similarly distributed baseline characteristics, the CBA group relative to the RFCA group had postablation: higher serum troponin I level (13.48 vs 1.84 µg/L, P  .05), with chest CT yielding significantly higher detection rate than echocardiography; similarly high pleural effusion rates on chest CT (73.3% vs 80%, P > .05); and smaller maximum depths on chest CT cross‐section of pericardial effusion (5.21 ± 3.37 vs 7.13 ± 2.68 mm, P