Incidental cardiac findings on cardiovascular MRI obtained prior to atrial fibrillation ablation can affect patient management

Background Radiofrequency (RF) catheter ablation is an effective treatment for patients with symptomatic atrial fibrillation (AF). Cardiovascular MR (CMR) may be obtained preprocedurally to assess pulmonary vein (PV) anatomy and be incorporated into electroanatomical mapping. Previous studies have reported the prevalence of incidental non-cardiac findings on CMR. Few, however, have documented the prevalence of incidental cardiac findings (ICFs) on clinical CMR. These findings represent clinically significant entities that can often alter ablation strategy and change patient management.