Myocardial sleeves of pulmonary veins and atrial fibrillation: a postmortem histopathological study of 100 subjects

Abstract

Histological examination of extensions of left atrial myocardium over the pulmonary veins, so called myocardial sleeves of pulmonary veins (MSPV), in 100 hearts of elderly patients showed that MSPV frequently harbour pathological lesions, particularly senile atrial amyloid, and scarring. These appear as a probable arrhythmogenic substrate for atrial fibrillation.