The clinical and electroanatomical characteristics of paroxysmal lone atrial fibrillation

IntroductionLone atrial fibrillation (AF) is defined as AF occurring in the absence of any other cardiovascular disease. The prognosis of patients with lone AF varies in previous studies, and the clinical and electroanatomical characteristics of lone AF are unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of lone AF.MethodsThis study included 203 patients (52±13 years old, 144 males) that underwent circumferential pulmonary vein isolation (CPVI) for paroxysmal AF. The mean voltage and total activation time of the individual atria were obtained by using a NavX mapping system and were compared for patients with lone and non-lone AF. Several parameters, including the age, gender, AF duration, and left atrial (LA) diameter were analyzed.ResultsCompared with non-lone AF patients, lone AF patients were significantly younger (49±13 years old vs. 58±11 years old, p<0.001) and had lower body-mass index (BMI, 24.60±2.96 vs. 26.07±3.29, p=0.02), lesser cholesterol level (169.06±31.41 vs. 183.63±31.12, p=0.014), smaller LA diameter (35.89±4.90 vs. 40.86±4.62, p<0.001), and higher LA bipolar voltage (2.10±0.50 vs. 1.83±0.73 mV, p<0.05). Furthermore, a dramatic voltage reduction was observed for 60-year-old patients.ConclusionPatients with lone AF have unique clinical and electroanatomical characteristics.