MRI of cardiac arrhythmia substrate in repaired Tetralogy of Fallot
Research type
Research Study
Full title
MRI of cardiac arrhythmia substrate in repaired Tetralogy of Fallot
IRAS ID
216204
Contact name
Mark O'Neill
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
Cardiac arrhythmias are disturbances in the heart rhythm – examples include atrial fibrillation, atrial tachycardia and ventricular tachycardia (heart beats in a fast and erratic pattern). They are associated with stroke, heart failure, premature death and may cause severely disabling symptoms and have a detrimental impact on quality of life.
Congenital heart disease (patients born with an underlying heart defect) affects around 7.5 per 1000 births and over 85% of patients survive into adulthood. There are approximately 1.2 million patients with congenital heart disease living in Europe – about 50% of whom are adults. The arrhythmia burden increases with age in patients with congenital heart disease and is the leading cause of morbidity and hospital admissions in these patients. Tetralogy of Fallot is the most common form of cyanotic congenital heart disease and comprises 7-10% of patients. In adult patients without congenital heart disease, cardiac MRI has been used recently to characterise the structure and function of the upper chambers of the heart - regions that are associated with the development of arrhythmias.
This study will use cardiac MRI to identify features within the upper chambers of the heart of patients with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot that increase the risk of arrhythmias. Patients will undergo blood tests and 7-day recording of their heart rhythm to compare to the MRI findings. In those patients undergoing a procedure such as 'pulmonary valve replacement' as part of their routine clinical care, we will endeavour to take additional measurements of the electrical properties of their right atrium during their clinically indication procedure using specially designed catheters. This will help us validate the information gained from the MRI studies.
Together, this study will help us better characterise the causes of arrhythmias in patients with repaired Tetralogy of Fallot and develop new treatment strategies.
REC name
London - Westminster Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/LO/0051
Date of REC Opinion
24 Mar 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion