Methods and Results
Multidetector computed tomography was performed in
102 consecutive
AF patients
(male/female = 60/42)
preoperative, and the parameters were evaluated as follows: the distance
from MPL and CPL to the esophagus, fat pad presence and thickness in the
course of MPL and CPL, and the esophageal route below CPL. The average
distance from the MPL to the esophagus was longer than from CPL to the
esophagus (3.7 ± 1.5mm vs 1.7 ± 0.4mm, P < 0.001). Fat pad
presence was higher in the course of MPL than CPL. The
myocardium
tissue and fat pad under MPL was thicker than under
CPL (2.9 ± 1.1mm vs 1.6 ± 0.3mm, P
< 0.001; 1.4 ± 0.6mm vs 0.9 ± 0.2mm, P < 0.001),
respectively. In patients whose esophagus was unconfined in a triangular
space at the left inferior pulmonary vein level, the average distance
from MPL to esophagus was longer than the confined patients (4.0 ± 1.7mm
vs 3.2 ± 1.0mm, P = 0.001).