Arrhythmia recurrence after atrial fibrillation ablation: can magnetic resonance imaging identify gaps in atrial ablation lines?

After pulmonary vein isolation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation, clinical arrhythmia recurrence is often a result of vein reconnection. By selectively visualizing scarred tissue, delayed enhancement magnetic resonance imaging may provide for a noninvasive means to identify gaps in radiofrequency ablation lines. This report correlates three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging with invasive electro-anatomical mapping in a patient with recurrent atrial arrhythmia after multiple unsuccessful ablations for atrial fibrillation.