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Myofiber Architecture of the Human Atria as Revealed by Sub-Millimeter Diffusion Tensor Imaging
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Apr 2016
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Source: Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol. 9(4):e004133
[PDF-3.02 MB]
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Alternative Title:Circ Arrhythm Electrophysiol
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Description:Background
Accurate knowledge of the human atrial fibrous structure is paramount in understanding the mechanisms of atrial electrical function in health and disease. Thus far such knowledge has been acquired from destructive sectioning, and there is a paucity of data regarding atrial fiber architecture variability in the human population.
Methods and Results
In this study, we have developed a customized 3D diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTMRI) sequence on a clinical scanner that makes it possible to image an entire intact human heart specimen ex vivo at sub-millimeter resolution. The data from eight human atrial specimens obtained with this technique present complete maps of the fibrous organization of the human atria. The findings demonstrate that the main features of atrial anatomy are mostly preserved across subjects, although the exact location and orientation of atrial bundles vary. Using the full tractography data, we were able to cluster, visualize, and characterize the distinct major bundles in the human atria. Further, quantitative characterization of the fiber angles across the atrial wall revealed that the transmural fiber angle distribution is heterogeneous throughout different regions of the atria.
Conclusions
The application of sub-millimeter DTMRI provides an unprecedented level of information regarding both human atrial structure as well as its inter-subject variability. The high resolution and fidelity of this data could enhance our understanding of structural contributions to atrial rhythm and pump disorders, and lead to improvements in their targeted treatment.
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Pubmed ID:27071829
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Pubmed Central ID:PMC7035884
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