Applications of computed tomography in clinical cardiac electrophysiology.

The fields of noninvasive cardiac imaging and clinical cardiac electrophysiology have both benefited from improved technology and techniques in recent years. Evidence is growing that improved noninvasive imaging techniques may shorten procedure times and improve procedural success rates. Because this application of noninvasive imaging represents an emerging area of interest, robust clinical trial data about the effect of cardiac computed tomography (CT) on clinical endpoints is lacking. This article reviews the available evidence in this area and highlights current and future directions of inquiry. Applications of CT in clinical cardiac electrophysiology currently relate to atrial fibrillation ablation techniques, image integration with electroanatomical mapping systems, biventricular lead insertion for cardiac resynchronization therapy, and evaluation of arrhythmogenic substrates.