Abstract
BACKGROUND: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) thickness is an independent predictor for the recurrence of premature ventricular beats after ablation. However, it is unclear whether EAT volume is associated with the recurrence of idiopathic ventricular tachycardia (IVT) following ablation. This study sought to investigate the association between EAT volume and IVT recurrence following radiofrequency ablation for IVT patients. METHODS: This retrospective study included 69 IVT patients undergoing computed tomography examination before ablation who underwent their first catheter ablation between 2017 and 2021. The predictive value of EAT volume for IVT recurrence following ablation was assessed. RESULTS: During the follow-up period (median: 540 days; range: 253-929 days), 26.1% (18/69) of the patients experienced IVT recurrence. The cut-off point of EAT volume for predicting IVT recurrence was 160.30 mL, and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.751 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.615-0.887) by the receiver operating characteristic curve. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients with larger EAT volumes had higher cumulative rates of IVT recurrence. Multivariable analysis also revealed that EAT volume (per 10 mL increase; hazard ratio (HR): 1.16, 95% CI: 1.03-1.32, p = 0.018) was independently associated with IVT recurrence. Furthermore, patients with an epicardial site of IVT had a significantly larger EAT volume than IVT patients with non-epicardial origins. CONCLUSIONS: A larger EAT volume may be associated with IVT recurrence after catheter ablation. EAT volume may be helpful for risk stratification in patients undergoing IVT ablation.